Mango BowlRAWI Publishing
Enjoyed as slices, cubes, or even with a spoon, juicy mangoes are Egyptians' favourite summertime treat. Believed to have been brought from India to Egypt in 1838 during the reign of Mohamed Ali Pasha, the first mango tree was possibly planted in his palace gardens.
The first varieties introduced were the sweet and fragrant hindi (Indian), the large taymour, and the round and slightly tangy alphonso. The fruit quickly became a much sought-after treat, its tree often planted in private homes.
A Mango Half with SpoonRAWI Publishing
Today, they are mostly cultivated in Fayoum or Upper Egypt, their humid climate and fertile soil offering ideal conditions to grow this succulent fruit. From July to November, a wide selection of mangoes populates fruit vendors’ stalls.
Cutting and Egyptian MangoRAWI Publishing
Eaten any time of day or pressed into a refreshing juice, mangoes have even found their way into popular desserts. The konafa, traditionally angel hair dough doused in syrup and filled with either whipped cream or nuts, now comes with a twist – the beloved mango on top!
Egyptian MangoesRAWI Publishing
Today, almost sixty different varieties of mangoes are cultivated in Egypt. We won’t be able to show them all to you, but we picked a few highlights and how to identify them:
Zebda (Butter): average-sized seed, orange flesh, smooth not very fibrous.
Alphonso: reddish blush on the green skin, average-sized seed, yellow flesh with a strong aroma and smooth intensely sweet taste.
Sidika: small-sized seed, orange flesh with a strong aroma and a smooth, sweet taste.
Taymour: medium-sized seed, orange flesh with a strong aroma and smooth taste.
Golek: small-sized seed with yellow, slightly fibrous flesh.
Hindi Menshawi: large-sized seed; smooth yellow flesh.
Succari (sweet): medium-sized seed, light yellow, moderately fibrous flesh.
Ewais: medium-sized seed, yellow, intensely sweet flesh with a distinctive smooth aroma.
Fass: small-sized seed, smooth yellow flesh with a nice aroma.
Hindi sennara: large-sized seed, smooth, slightly fibrous yellow flesh with a distinctive 'hook' (sennara) shape.
Tommy; medium-sized seed; yellow, moderately fibrous flesh with a weak aroma.
Naomi: small-sized seed; juicy yellow flesh with no fibres.
