“Strand me on an island with one food, I always choose you.” 

This is an impassioned ode to the mango. Host Jessamine Starr talks to mango expert Dr. Noris Ledesma, who fell in love with mangoes as a child in Colombia and has since spent much of her career studying this fruit. While both Jessamine and Noris share a great love of the mango, Noris has made it her life’s mission to ensure that it continues to thrive and make it to our kitchen tables. She has traveled around the world collecting mango species in an attempt to cultivate mangoes that can withstand everything from climate change and farmers’ needs to the picky consumer's eye.

In this episode of Fruit Love Letters, Jessamine chats with:

• Noris Ledesma, a horticulturist with a focus on tropical fruit and mangoes throughout Latin America, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Africa.

Episode highlights:

A Love for Mango Emerges

• Noris Ledesma reflects on her childhood memories with mangoes in Colombia

Mango Representation in United States

• Noris discusses how there are many different mango varieties that grow in Florida for personal use, but 99% of mangoes sold to consumers in the US are imported, mainly from Mexico.

• For these imported mangoes, Noris describes a necessary hot water treatment they undergo before getting introduced to the US to prevent agriculture contamination.

Cultivating Mangoes for the US

• Noris discusses rescuing the Mangifera species from islands, i.e Borneo, and introducing them to the US through grafting and match-making them with current mango varieties to adjust to US soils that can successfully grow in the United States

• Noris contemplates environmental issues, contamination, deterioration of soil that can hinder proper growth for both the farmers

• Noris’ current work involves breeding mangoes that are more resistant to disease without the need for chemicals.

Challenges to Mango Blooming

• Mangoes that were initially developed in South Florida years ago are now imported from other regions and need a shock of cold to bloom. 

• Because of global warming, Noris explains, there is no longer a sufficient cold shock for the mangoes to properly bloom. Noris discusses that the solution will be to introduce mango varieties from more tropical regions.

Pursuit of the Purple Skin Mango

• Noris discusses the benefits of cultivating a mango with purple skin to prevent food waste. 

Getting Messy with Mangoes

• Noris describes her favorite ways to eat mangoes that range from  eating Egyptian mangoes in the field, to more sophisticated restaurant presentations.

Future of Mango Imports

• Noris explains how corporate demand for large quantities is hindering consumer access to different mango varieties, but she is positive that more varieties will enter the US in coming years.

Allergies

• Jessamine and Noris discuss the cause of allergic reactions to mangoes methods to lessen the severity of mild reactions.

Mango Connection

• Noris reflects on how her love for mangoes has created a large community around the world akin to family.