Under The Mango Tree In Costa Rica

Mangoes  grow almost wild in Costa Rica  from April through  June.  The warm tropical climate and ample rainfall provide the perfect environment. And Costa Ricans love mangoes.  They make a delicious drink of fresh mango mixed in the blender with water and sugar (shown here in Xinia’s photo)  Also freezing fresh peeled and chopped mango and then blending it with water and sugar- Even Better!

Mangoes are used in bread and cake making (Mango Bread)  Just peel and chop it and place in the bread or cake mixture before baking. Mangoes are popular in salads and served over ice cream.  Click here to view a large collection of delicious recipes using mangoes.  http://www.freshmangoes.com/mangorecipes/recipes.html

Also the fruit and leaves are used for floral decorations for weddings as well as religious ceremonies.

Mango trees grow very tall-up to 4 meters and can live for three hundred years.

The small fruit is called mango and is very sweet and the larger fruit is called manga and is less sweet and the pulp is much firmer (tastes like a peach)  In the US we pay $1 or more for one large manga and here in Costa Rica they sell for around twenty five cents each.

Xinia has a large mango tree in her back yard and the fruit is falling all during the day and night, so if we sit under the Manga Tree–well we may get an unexpected bump on the head.  Also be careful not to eat the peel, you will get a “sting on your lips and gums”

The large manga shown below which Xinia is holding is unusually large.  Average size is much smaller.

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Xinia with fresh Mango Drink