Mango | Gentle Reading For Sleep

Drift off with a calm bedtime reading about the mango, designed to support sleep and bring relief to insomnia. This soothing bedtime reading invites you to relax as you learn about mangoes, their history, and their place in daily life, while your mind settles gently toward sleep. Benjamin’s calm cadence turns simple facts into a peaceful wind-down that helps ease restless nights and quiet busy thoughts.

There is no whispering, just fact-filled, calm education delivered in a steady, comforting voice. As you listen, you may discover something new while your body relaxes and your mind drifts further from stress, anxiety, and insomnia. Press play, get comfortable, and let this gentle bedtime reading guide you toward rest. Happy sleeping!

Transcript

Welcome to the I Can't Sleep Podcast, Where I help you drift off one fact at a time. I'm your host, Benjamin Boster, And today's episode is about mangoes. A mango is an edible stone fruit produced by the tropical tree Mangyphora indica. It originated in the northeastern part of the Indian subcontinent, In what is now Bangladesh, Northeastern India, And Myanmar. Mangyphora indica has been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia since ancient times, Resulting in two modern mango cultivar lineages, The Indian and the Southeast Asian types. Other species in the genus Mangyphora also produce edible fruits called mangoes, Most of which are found in the Malaysian ecoregion. There are several hundred cultivars of mango worldwide. Depending on the cultivar, Mango fruit varies in size, Shape, Sweetness, Skin color, And flesh color, Which may be pale yellow, Gold, Green, Or orange. Mango is a national fruit of India, Pakistan, And the Philippines, While the mango tree is a national tree of Bangladesh. The English word mango, Plural mangoes, Originated in the 16th century from the Portuguese word manga, From the Malayalam manga, And ultimately from the Tamil ma, Meaning mango tree, Plus kai, Meaning unripe fruit or vegetable. The scientific name Mangyphora indica can be translated as a plant bearing mangoes in India. Mango trees grow 30 to 40 meters tall, With a crown radius of 10 to 15 meters. The trees are long-lived, As some specimens still fruit after 300 years. In deep soil, The taproot descends to a depth of 6 meters, With profuse, Widespread feeder roots and anchor roots penetrating deeply into the soil. The leaves are evergreen, Alternate, Simple, 15 to 35 centimeters long, And 6 to 16 centimeters broad. When the leaves are young, They are orange-pink, Rapidly changing to a dark, Glossy red, Then dark green as they mature. The flowers are produced in terminal panicles 10 to 40 centimeters long. Each flower is small and wide with five petals, 5 to 10 millimeters long, With a mild, Sweet fragrance. Over 500 varieties of mangoes are known, Many of which ripen in summer, While some give a double crop. The fruit takes 4 to 5 months from flowering to ripening. The ripe fruit varies according to cultivar in size, Shape, Color, Sweetness, And eating quality. Depending on the cultivar, Fruits are variously yellow, Orange, Red, Or green. The fruit has a single, Flat, Oblong pit that can be fibrous or hairy on the surface, And does not separate easily from the pulp. The fruits may be somewhat round, Oval, Or kidney-shaped, Ranging from 5 to 25 centimeters in length, And from 140 grams to 2 kilograms in weight per individual fruit. The skin is leather-like, Waxy, Smooth, And fragrant, With colors ranging from green to yellow, Yellow-orange, Yellow-red, Or blushed with various shades of red, Purple, Pink, Or yellow when fully ripe. Ripe, Intact mangoes give off a distinctive, Resinous, Sweet smell. Inside the stone, With its 1 to 2 millimeter thick, Woody endocarp, Is a single seed, 4 to 7 centimeters long. Mangoes have recalcitrant seeds, Which do not survive freezing and drying. Mango trees grow readily from seeds, With germination success highest when seeds are obtained from mature fruits. Mangoes originated from the region between northwestern Myanmar, Bangladesh, And northeastern India. The mango is considered an evolutionary anachronism, Whereby seed dispersal was once accomplished by a now-extinct evolutionary forager, Such as a megafauna mammal. From their center of origin, Mangoes diverged into two generally distinct populations, The subtropical Indian group and the tropical Southeast Asian group. The Indian group is characterized by having monoembryonic fruits, While the Southeast Asian group is characterized by polyembryonic fruits. It was previously believed that mangoes originated from a single domestication event in South Asia, Before being spread to Southeast Asia, But a 2019 study found no evidence of a center of diversity in India. Instead, It identified a higher, Unique genetic diversity in Southeast Asian cultivars, Than in Indian cultivars, Indicating that mangoes may have originally been domesticated first in Southeast Asia, Before being introduced to South Asia. However, The authors cautioned that the diversity in Southeast Asian mangoes might be the result of other reasons. Nevertheless, The existence of two distinct generic populations, Identified by this study, Indicates that the domestication of the mango is more complex than previously assumed, And would at least indicate multiple domestication events in Southeast Asia and South Asia. There are hundreds of named mango cultivars. In mango orchards, Several cultivars are often grown to improve pollination. Many desired cultivars are monoembryonic, And must be propagated by grafting, Or they do not breed true. A common monoembryonic cultivar is Alfonso, An important export product, Considered the king of mangoes. Cultivars that excel in one climate may fail elsewhere. For example, Indian cultivars, Such as Julie, A prolific cultivar in Jamaica, Require annual fungicide treatments to escape the lethal fungal disease, Anthracnose, In Florida. Asian mangoes are resistant to anthracnose. The current Western market is dominated by the cultivar Tommy Atkins, A seedling of Hayden that first fruited in 1940 in southern Florida, And was initially rejected commercially by Florida researchers. Growers and importers worldwide have embraced the cultivar for its excellent productivity and disease resistance. It offers excellent conditions, Shelf life, Transportability, Size, And appealing color. Although the Tommy Atkins cultivar is commercially successful, Other cultivars may be preferred by consumers for eating pleasure, Such as Alfonso. From tropical Asia, Mangoes were introduced to East Africa by Arab and Persian traders in the 9th to 10th centuries. The 14th-century Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta reported it at Mogadishu. It was spread further into other areas around the world during the colonial era. The Portuguese empire spread the mango from their colony in Goa to East and West Africa. From West Africa, They introduced it to Brazil from the 16th to the 17th centuries. From Brazil, It spread northwards to the Caribbean and eastern Mexico by the mid to late 18th century. The Spanish empire also introduced mangoes directly from the Philippines to western Mexico via the Manila Galleons from at least the 16th century. Mangoes were only introduced to Florida by 1833. The mango is cultivated in most frost-free tropical and warmer subtropical climates. It is cultivated extensively in South Asia, Southeast Asia, East and West Africa, The tropical and subtropical Americas, And the Caribbean. Mangoes are also grown in Andalasia, Spain, As its coastal subtropical climate is one of the few places in mainland Europe that permits the growth of tropical plants and fruit trees. The Canary Islands are another notable Spanish producer of the fruit. Other minor cultivars include North America, In South Florida and the California Coachella Valley, Hawaii, And Australia. Many commercial cultivars grown in Europe are grafted onto the cold hardy rootstock of the Gomera 1 mango cultivar, Originally from Cuba. Its root system is well adapted to a coastal Mediterranean climate. A breakthrough in mango cultivation was the use of potassium nitrate and ethyl to induce flowering in mangoes. The discovery was made by Filipino horticulturist Ramon Barba in 1974 and was developed from the unique traditional method of inducing mango flowering using smoke in the Philippines. It allowed mango plantations to induce regular flowering and fruiting year-round. Previously, Mangoes were seasonal because they only flowered every 16 to 18 months. The method is now used in most mango-producing countries. In 2023, World production of mangoes, Mangosteens, And guavas was 61 million tons, Led by India with 43% of the total, And Indonesia and China as secondary producers. Mangoes are generally sweet, Although the taste and texture of the flesh vary across cultivars. Some, Such as Alphonso, Have a soft, Pulpy, Juicy texture similar to an overripe plum, While others, Such as Tommy Atkins, Are firmer with a fibrous texture. Mangoes are used in many cuisines. Sour, Unripe mangoes are used in side dishes in Indian cuisine, Such as mango chutney, And pickles such as avokaya. A summer drink called ampana is made with mangoes. Mangolasi is consumed throughout South Asia, Prepared by mixing ripe mangoes or mango pulp with buttermilk and sugar. In Indonesian cuisine, Unripe mango is processed into asinan, Rujak, And sambal bencik, Mangga muda, Or eaten with edible salt. Raw green mangoes can be sliced and eaten like a salad. In most parts of Southeast Asia, They are commonly eaten with fish sauce, Vinegar, Soy sauce, Or with a dash of salt, Plain or spicy, A combination usually known as mango salad in English. In the Philippines, Green mangoes are eaten with savory condiments, Such as bagoong, Salty fish or shrimp paste, Soy sauce, Vinegar, Or chilies. Mango float and mango cake, Which use slices of ripe mangoes, Are eaten in the Philippines. The flavor of mango fruits is conferred by several volatile organic chemicals, Mainly terpenes, Purinones, Lactones, And esters. Different varieties of cultivars of mangoes can have flavors made up of different volatile chemicals, Or the same volatile chemicals in different quantities. In general, New World mango cultivars are characterized by the dominance of delta-3-carine, A monoterpene flavorant. Whereas high concentration of other monoterpenes, Such as Z-osamine and myrsine, As well as the presence of lactones and purinones, Is a unique feature of Old World cultivars. In India, Alphonso is one of the most popular cultivars. In Alphonso mango, The lactones and purinones are synthesized during ripening, Whereas terpenes and the other flavorants are present in both the developing immature and ripening fruits. Ethylene, A ripening-related hormone well known to be involved in ripening of mango fruits, Causes changes in the flavor composition of mango fruits, Upon exogenous application as well. In contrast to the huge amount of information available on the chemical composition of mango flavor, The biosynthesis of these chemicals has not been studied in depth. Only a handful of genes encoding the enzymes of flavor biosynthetic pathways has been characterized to date. A raw mango is 84% water, 15% carbohydrates, 1% protein, And has negligible fat. In a reference amount of 100 grams, Raw mango supplies 60 calories and is a rich source of vitamin C, 40% of the daily value, With moderate amounts of folate, 11% of the daily value, And copper, 12% DV, While other micronutrients are low in content. The mango is the national fruit of India, Pakistan, And the Philippines. It is a national tree of Bangladesh. In India, The harvesting and sale of the mangoes is during March to May, And this is annually covered by news agencies. In Tamil Nadu, The mango is one of the three royal fruits, Along with banana and jackfruit, For their sweetness and flavor. The mango has a traditional context in the culture of South Asia. In his edicts, The Mauryan Emperor Ashoka references the planting of fruit and shade-bearing trees along imperial roads in his major pillar edict No. 5. On the roads, Banyan trees were caused to be planted by me, In order that they might afford shade to cattle and men, And mango groves were caused to be planted. In medieval India, The Indo-Persian poet Amir Khosrau terms the mango Nagza-Tarin-Mewa Hindustan, The fairest fruit of Hindustan. The Mughal Empire was especially fond of the fruits. The Emperor Babur praises the mango in his Baburnama. Mughal Emperor Akbar, 1556-1605, Is said to have planted a mango orchard of 100, 000 trees near Dabunga Bihar. Mango flowers and leaves are used in the worship of the Hindu goddess Saraswati at the spring festival of Vasantpachami. The leaves are used as decorations in celebrations of Ganesh Chaturthi for the elephant-headed god Ganesha. The giant goddess Ambika is traditionally represented as sitting under a mango tree. The classical Sanskrit poet Kalidasa sang the praises of mangoes. Paisley patterns with a teardrop-shaped motif or bote on shawls and saris are named for the unripe mango in languages across the Indian subcontinent, Such as Kalka in Bengali, Ambi in Punjabi, And Kairi in Hindi. Mangoes were the subject of the mango cold in China during the Cultural Revolution as symbols of Chairman Mao Zedong's love for the people. In botany, A drupe or stone fruit is a type of fruit in which an outer fleshy part, Exocarp or skin, And mesocarp or flesh, Surrounds a single shell, The pip in the UK, Pit in the US, Stone or perenna, Of hardened endocarp with a seed kernel inside. Drupes do not split open to release the seed, I. E. They are indehiscent. These fruits usually develop from a single carpel, And mostly from flowers with superior ovaries. The definitive characteristic of a drupe is that the hard, Woody, Lignified stone is derived from the ovary wall of the flower. In an aggregate fruit, Which is composed of small individual drupes, Such as a raspberry, Each individual is termed a druplet, And may together form an aggregate fruit. Such fruits are often termed berries, Although botanists use a different definition of berry. Other fleshy fruits may have a stony enclosure that comes from the seed coat surrounding the seed, But such fruits are not drupes. Flowering plants that produce drupes include coffee, Jujube, Mango, Olive, Most palms, Including acai, Dade, Sable and oil palms, Pistachio, White sapote, Cashew, And all members of the genus Prunus, Including the almond, Apricot, Cherry, Damson, Peach, Nectarine, And plum. The term drapecious is applied to a fruit having the structure and texture of a drupe, But which does not precisely fit the definition of a drupe. The boundary between a drupe and a berry is not always clear. Thus, Some sources describe the fruit of species from the genus Persea, Which includes the avocado, As a drupe. Others describe the avocado as a berry. One definition of berry requires the endocarp to be less than 2 mm thick. Other fruits with a stony endocarp being drupes. In marginal cases, Terms such as drapecious or drupe-like are sometimes used. A freestone is a drupe with a stone that can easily be removed from the flesh. A clingstone is a drupe with a stone which cannot easily be removed from the flesh. A trima is a nut-like drupe. Hickory nuts and walnuts grow within an outer husk. These fruits are technically drupes or drapecious nuts, Not true botanical nuts. Many drupes, With their sweet, Fleshy outer layer, Attract the attention of animals as food, And the plant benefits from the resulting dispersal of its seeds. Typical drupes include apricots, Olives, Loquat, Peaches, Plums, Cherries, Mangoes, Pecans, And amlas, Indian gooseberries. Other examples include sloe and ivy. The coconut is a drupe. It's mesocarp, A dry or fibrous husk. It's endocarp, A hard shell. Bramble fruits such as the blackberry and the raspberry are aggregates of druplets. The fruit of blackberries and raspberries comes from a single flower whose pistil is made up of a number of free carpels. However, Mulberries, Which closely resemble blackberries, Are not aggregates, But multiple fruits. Some drupes occur in clusters, As in palms. Examples include dates, Hubea chilensis in central Chile, And Washingtonia filifera in the Sonoran Desert in North America. Many gymnosperms like cycads, Ginkgos, And some cypresses have drupe-like fruits. In botany, A fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits, In particular, Have long propagated using the movements of humans and other animals in a symbiotic relationship. It is the means for seed dispersal for the one group, And nutrition for the other. Humans and many other animals have become dependent on fruits as a source of food. Consequently, Fruits account for a substantial fraction of the world's agricultural output, And some, Such as the apple and the pomegranate, Have acquired extensive cultural and symbolic meanings. In common language and culinary usage, Fruit normally means the seed-associated fleshy structures or produce of plants that are typically sweet or sour and edible in the raw state, Such as apples, Bananas, Grapes, Lemons, Oranges, And strawberries. In botanical usage, The term fruit includes many structures that are not commonly called as such in everyday language, Such as nuts, Bean pods, Corn kernels, Tomatoes, And wheat grains. Many common language terms used for fruit and seeds differ from botanical classifications. For example, In botany, A fruit is a ripened ovary or carpel that contains seeds, E. G. , An orange, Pomegranate, Tomato, Or a pumpkin. A nut is a type of fruit and not a seed, And a seed is a ripened ovule. In culinary language, A fruit is the sweet or not sweet, Even sour-tasting produce of a specific plant, E. G. , A peach, Pear, Or lemon. Nuts are hard, Oily, Non-sweet plant produce and shells, E. G. , Hazelnut, Acorn. Vegetables, So-called, Typically are savory or non-sweet produce, E. G. , Zucchini, Lettuce, Broccoli, And tomato. But some may be sweet-tasting, Sweet potato. Examples of botanically classified fruit that are typically called vegetables include cucumber, Pumpkin, And squash, Or other winter squashes. Beans, Peanuts, And peas, All legumes, And corn, Eggplant, Bell pepper, Or sweet pepper, And tomato. Many spices are fruits, Botanically speaking, Including black pepper, Chili pepper, Cumin, And allspice. In contrast, Rhubarb is often called a fruit when used in making pies, But the edible produce of rhubarb is actually the leaf stalk or petiole of the plant. Botanically, A cereal grain, Such as corn, Rice, Or wheat, Is a kind of fruit. However, The fruit wall is thin and fused to the seed coat, So almost all the edible grain fruit is actually a seed.

Reviews

Where did the man-go?
Love me some mango 🥭!
I have one sitting on my kitchen counter right now!
And it’s story put me to sleep in a flash! Thanks Ben!

A juicy and delicious fruit topic to sweeten the journey to sleep. Nice one Ben

As always the reading was great and I loved listening about mangoes