Pink Elephant Mangoes
Estimated Inventory, lb : 1.37
This item was last sold on : 11/23/24
Description/Taste
Pink Elephant mangoes are a large varietal, averaging 500 to 900 grams in weight, and have an elongated, oval to oblong shape with tapered, curved ends. The fruit’s skin is semi-thick and tough with a smooth, leathery, and taut feel and showcases variegated light pink, yellow, and orange hues. There may also be a few tiny dark brown spots scattered across the surface that are superficial and do not affect the quality of the flesh. Underneath the skin, the yellow-orange flesh is aqueous, soft, tender, fibreless, and succulent when ripe. The flesh also encases a thin seed that should be discarded during consumption. Pink Elephant mangoes are typically consumed once ripe and have a sweet, fruity, tropical, and floral taste with little to no acidity.
Seasons/Availability
Pink Elephant mangoes are available year-round.
Current Facts
Pink Elephant mangoes, botanically classified as Mangifera indica, are a rare variety belonging to the Anacardiaceae family. The specialty mango is a variety from Vietnam and is a part of the Elephant mango grouping, along with Green Elephant and Gold Elephant mangoes. Elephant mangoes are one of the largest varieties grown in Vietnam and were named after the well-known animal for their notable size. Pink Elephant mangoes have distinctly colored skin, and this coloring is naturally developed during cultivation. In Vietnam, the fruits are also known as Xoài Tượng in Vietnamese and are also seen written as Xoai Tuong and Tuong mango in English. Pink Elephant mangoes are exported from Vietnam to the United States and are a premium mango variety sold as a delicacy. The variety is savored for its sweet, subtly floral flavor, smooth, fibreless flesh, and versatility to be used in a wide array of sweet or savory culinary preparations.
Nutritional Value
Pink Elephant mangoes have not been extensively studied for their nutritional properties. Mangoes, in general, are a source of vitamins A, C, E, and K. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system, while vitamin A maintains healthy organs. Vitamin E guards the cells against the damage caused by free radicals and vitamin K assists the body in producing proteins that help the blood form clots for wound healing. Mangoes also provide potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, copper to produce red blood cells, magnesium to control nerve functions, phosphorus to support bones and teeth, and other nutrients, including zinc, manganese, calcium, iron, vitamin B6, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin.
Applications
Pink Elephant mangoes have a sweet, tropical, fruity, and floral taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The variety is mainly eaten out of hand and the skin and flesh are showcased in raw dishes, including green salads, fruit platters, and as a snack. Pink Elephant mangoes can be diced into smaller pieces and combined with herbs as an edible garnish over seafood dishes, mixed into fresh salsa, or combined into sweet, savory, and spicy mixed salads for enhanced flavoring. The variety can also be blended and frozen into ice cream, added to smoothies, lassis, and shakes, or incorporated into juice and tea. In addition to fresh preparations, Pink Elephant mangoes can be used in cooked dishes and are sometimes stir-fried, cooked into a sauce, or made into a base flavoring for curries. Slices of the flesh are also served with sticky rice, cooked into chutneys, or simmered into jams and jellies. Besides savory preparations, Pink Elephant mangoes can be made into a filling and used for cookies, cakes, cheesecakes, and crepes. They can also be incorporated into puddings and mousse. Pink Elephant mangos pair well with herbs such as cilantro, parsley, and mint, cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, limes, kiwis, passion fruits, pineapple and coconut. Whole, unopened Pink Elephant mangoes should be ripened at room temperature. Placing the fruits in a paper bag will help speed up the ripening time. Once mature, Pink Elephant mangoes should be immediately consumed for the best quality and flavor or stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Elephant mangoes are one of several mango varieties grown within the Mekong Delta Region annually celebrated at the Dong Thap Mango Festival. Dong Thap is a province in southern Vietnam and the festival was established in the early 2020s to raise awareness of mango production in the Mekong Delta, promote tourism, and increase mango sales domestically and internationally. The festival is traditionally held at the beginning of the year when peak season mango production is occurring in Vietnam and during the event, farm tours, cooking competitions, vendor booths, and local contests are held surrounding mangos. Live musical performances are also featured to incorporate the region’s cultural heritage, virtual reality activities allow participants to learn about mango cultivation in the Mekong Delta, and freshly harvested mango varieties grown within the area are sold to visitors as a souvenir. Beyond the annual festival, mangoes are a customary element in the five-fruit trays during Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year. Mangos are primarily used on trays made in southern Vietnam, along with other fruits, including papaya and coconut. These fruits are combined into a phrase that symbolizes and expresses the wish for prosperity and money during new year festivities and are considered auspicious. Five-fruit trays are arranged in a balanced, visually pleasing arrangement and are meant to welcome health, wealth, and peace.
Geography/History
Pink Elephant mangoes are believed to be native Vietnam, but beyond its country of origin, much of the variety’s history is unknown. Elephant mangoes, in general, were thought to have been created in the Phu Cat district of the Binh Dinh Province along the coast of central Vietnam. Green-skinned Elephant mangoes were notably mentioned in the Dai Nam Thuc Luc, a written chronicle about the Nguyen kings and nobility during the Nguyen dynasty. The chronicle is comprised of 584 volumes and documented events during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Within this chronicle, Elephant mangoes were recorded as an offering given to King Minh Mang during Tet, also known as the Vietnamese New Year. It is said the Phu Yen province was required to send over 1,000 fruits to the king for Tet, and Elephant mangoes eventually became the choice fruit around 1834, being transported to the king by water. Over time, Elephant mangoes expanded in cultivation across Vietnam and were planted in the Mekong Delta region, an area in southwestern Vietnam. Pink Elephant mangoes may be a variant of the traditional Green Elephant mango. Today, Elephant mangoes are a popular variety grown in Vietnam and are selected as an export mango. Vietnam exports mangoes to other regions of Southeast and East Asia and began shipping mangoes to Australia and the United States in 2019. Green Elephant mangoes were officially exported from Vietnam to the United States in 2024. Pink Elephant mangoes were also imported from Vietnam in 2024 and were sent to American retailers and wholesalers through Melissa’s Produce, a produce distributor within the United States. On their website, Melissa’s Produce has noted that they source their Pink Elephant mangoes from the Mekong Delta Region and are air-freighted into the United States.
