Ataulfo (mango)

Ataúlfo mango
GenusMangifera
SpeciesMangifera indica
Cultivar'Ataúlfo'
Marketing namesChampagne
OriginSoconusco, Chiapas, MX

The 'Ataúlfo' mango is a mango cultivar from Mexico.[1] Ataúlfo mangos are golden yellow and generally weigh between 6 and 10 ounces (170 and 280 g), with a somewhat sigmoid shape ("S"-shaped)[1] and a gold-yellow skin.[2] The flesh is not fibrous, and the pit is thin. They were named for grower Ataúlfo Morales Gordillo.[3] Since August 27, 2003, the Ataúlfo mango is one of the 18 Mexican Designations of Origin.[4]

Origin

The Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (Instituto Mexicano de la Propiedad Industrial) granted the designation of origin of this fruit to the government of Chiapas.[3] Along with the Manilita mango, it is a descendant of the Philippine mango cultivar introduced from the Philippines to Mexico before 1779 through the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade. It was crossed with other mango varieties, resulting in the Ataúlfo. Regardless, Ataúlfo remains a Philippine-type mango, characterized by being polyembryonic (as opposed to the Indian-type which is monoembryonic).[5]

In 2003, the Mexican government, through the Official Gazette, published Comunicado No. 14 – 2003 titled "Abstract of the application for the declaration (protection) of the Appellation of Origin: Mango Ataúlfo del Soconusco Chiapas", a declaration that the term "Mango Ataúlfo del Soconusco Chiapas" is an appellation of origin for a specific kind of mango fruit produced in several regions of Chiapas, Mexico[6] where the Ataúlfo mango was first grown.[3]

Production

The fruit grows in warm, moist climates with summer rains, but monsoon temperatures must not decline to 5 °C.[citation needed] The proper temperature for this type of mango is 28 °C with rainfall between 1090–3000 mm annually, from April to October.[citation needed]

The Ataúlfo mangoes originate in the Mexican states of Michoacan, Sinaloa, Nayarit, Jalisco, Veracruz and Chiapas, and are sold between March and September.[2] Ataúlfo production was concentrated in the Soconusco coastal region. Overall, producer organizations estimated that there were 18,000 hectares of Ataúlfo mangoes in production in the state.[7]

There are several pests that influence the growth and production of the mangoes including fruit flies and mango seed weevil.[8]

Consumption

Ataúlfo mangoes gained popularity in the United States beginning in the late 1990s,[9] though they have been a major crop in Mexico for decades.[3][1] As of 2009, they were the second-most popular variety of mango sold in the U.S., behind the Tommy Atkins.[10] As of 2018, they represented a little less than 20% of all mangoes imported into the U.S.[11]

Until 2014, Mexican Ataúlfo mangoes had not been sold in significant numbers in Europe because shipping them by air was prohibitively expensive.[12] In December 2014, shipments by sea began via one United Kingdom importer using timed pre-ripe harvesting combined with faster sea-shipping that enabled full mango ripening while in transit.[12] European customers are willing to pay significantly more than North American customers, if the mangos are of high quality and are sold ready-to-eat.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Allen Susser. The Great Mango Book. Ten Speed Press (2001), p. 6 ISBN 1-58008-204-1.
  2. ^ a b Corey Mintz (May 24, 2008). "Sweet news: Ataulfos are in season; It's hard to believe these silky mangoes are related to the stringy variety we see in winter". Toronto Star.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ataulfo mangoes". Specialty Produce. 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Declaración General de Protección de la Denominación de Origen Mango Ataulfo del Soconusco Chiapas". Diario Oficial de la Federación (in Spanish). 2003-08-27. Retrieved 2021-06-19.
  5. ^ Rocha, Franklin H.; Infante, Francisco; Quilantán, Juan; Goldarazena, Arturo; Funderburk, Joe E. (March 2012). "'Ataulfo' Mango Flowers Contain a Diversity of Thrips (Thysanoptera)". Florida Entomologist. 95 (1): 171–178. doi:10.1653/024.095.0126.
  6. ^ "Mango Variety Granted Appellation of Origin". INTA Bulletin, International Trademark Association. 1 May 2003. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 8 December 2015.
  7. ^ Patrick Hanemann; Nathanael Bourns; Ivana Fertziger (July 2008). "Ataulfo Mango in Chiapas: A Value Chain Analysis" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-24. (USAID microREPORT #109
  8. ^ Peña, J. E.; Mohyuddin, A. I.; Wysoki, M. (1998-06-01). "A review of the pest management situation in mango agroecosystems". Phytoparasitica. 26 (2): 129. doi:10.1007/BF02980680. ISSN 1876-7184. S2CID 35979150.
  9. ^ Aliza Green. Starting with Ingredients. Running Press (2006), p. 572. ISBN 0-7624-2747-7.
  10. ^ Erica Marcus (June 10, 2009). "Mangoes win in popularity". St Louis Post-Dispatch. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012.
  11. ^ Riemenschneider, Pamela (April 3, 2018). "Retailers find a sweet spot with honey mangoes". Produce Retailer. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  12. ^ a b Watson, Nichola (December 8, 2014). "First seafreight Ataulfo mangoes to UK". FreshPlaza.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved 2015-05-15.
  13. ^ Thompson, Tad (June 5, 2018). "Splendid greatly increasing Ataulfo volume in 2018". The Produce News. Retrieved June 22, 2018.