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Want to taste the sweetest and most fragrant mangoes? Come to Tainan County!
Yu Jin Township in Tainan County is the biggest mango-producing area in Taiwan. Thanks to the farmers' hard work and delicate nurturing process mango varieties like Irwin, Chiin Hwang, Tu (土芒果), Keitt, Tainung, Haden, Yu-wen and others, are sweet, juicy and loved by all. In June and July, there are plenty of ripen fruits ready and waiting to be send to the distribution centers and markets. The aromatic mangoes seem to fill up the entire Yu Jin Township with lovely fragrance and a sense of joy for the abundant harvest. |
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Irwin Mango
Very fragrant in smell and velvety in flesh
The Irwin mango is what's often called in Taiwan the "Apple – Shih". Its apple-red skin and rich aroma are its biggest features. Its fruit is soft, velvety with very little fibers and when juiced, it's very sweet. Its smooth texture and the intense fruitiness have won favors with many food connoisseurs. Irwin mangoes are often processed and made into mango ice cream, ice cream bar, salad, and it's used in many dishes. It is the most popular mango planted in many plantations. In recent years, the Irwin mango has passed the produce disease standard in Japan and began to be sold there. In addition of economic benefits, this fruit has once more help to solidify the title of "Nation of Fruits" for Taiwan globally. |
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| Chiin Hwang mangoes
Golden and smooth with just the right amount of sweetness
Chiin Hwang mangoes are huge, with the biggest ones reaching 2.5 kg in weight. Its skin is smooth and delicate in appearance and mostly golden in color with a touch of light pink; it certainly looks appealing to many. The meat of Chiin Hwang mangoes is very silky with almost no fiber. Their aroma isn't as pungent as Irwin mangoes but some people prefer its texture and sweetness without any hints of tartness. |
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| Tu mangoes
Juicy and fibrous
Comparing with Irwin and Chiin Hwang the Tu mangoes are small with a sweet and tart taste that's hard to forget. It's rather fibrous but the taste of its juice is unique and stands out as having a somewhat "peasantry" feel. It's mostly used for juicing and the processed Tu mangoes are made into snacks favored by many. |
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The secret of picking mangoes
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If you're picking mangoes yourself you want to pick them right after they are completely ripe and having the highest quality, but the most of the time you're probably going to get them in markets and the farmers often harvest them when they're about 70% to 80% ripe and artificially ripen them before transporting them to the markets to prevent bruises.
If you're shopping for them look for ones with firm and thick flesh without insect-biting marks and small rips and tears. Also, for each type, look and make sure the colors of each fit their description, for example, Irwin mangoes should be bright red with some yellow, and Chiin Hwang mangoes should be orange yellow with a hint of red. If you know you won't be able to finish the mangoes soon then avoid picking up fully ripened fruits. If you see small black spots then it's time to place the mangoes into the refrigerator in order to prevent them to become over ripen and then rotten. |
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