The mango is among the most delicious of all the tropical fruits; but, when unripened, this "fruit" is used as a vegetable. Since it is a member of the cashew family, those who react to poison ivy/oak/sumac should eat them with caution as they can produce the same type of allergic reactions, including skin lesions or the more serious swollen lips and tongue.

Mangoes are grown throughout the tropics, from the Caribbean to Africa, South-East Asia, Australia, as well as India, where the history of the fruit goes back over 6,000 years and closely connected to the Hindu religion. The mango was, for a long time, a status symbol in India.

The Manilla mango is from the Philippines, and is yellow-skinned and kidney-shaped.