#185 Mangoes of the world

How blessed are we to live in a world full of mangoes?

Jun 23, 2026

The mango is not just one thing. There’s an entire world of mangoes out there. When we first posted this mango infographic of course we got bombarded with comments saying we either misappropriated the country or left out a really good mango! First of all, apologies if we missed your favorite mango or got anything wrong! We always do these in the spirit of fun and curiosity :)

The point of all this is to let you know of the many wonderful mangoes that exist and their best use cases. Alphonso for kulfi. Carabao for graham. Nam Dok Mai for sticky rice. Ataulfo for raw snacking. In today’s WK Weekly, we’ll go through some of these iconic mangoes.

The Alphonso is what people mean when they say “mango” in much of the world. India calls it the King of Mangoes and I have no qualms about it. It tastes like honey. There’s very little fiber and it’s so good to enjoy raw! There’s a reason they get really expensive when in peak mango season.

Pakistan’s Chaunsa is really popular too, being given the name “Fruit from Paradise”. It’s really sweet, has a light citrus note and you’re always going to have mango juice running down your wrist when you have a Chaunsa.

The Dasheri is also North Indian having been cultivated for hundreds of years. It’s smooth, tender and beautifully fragrant!

I would say that these three mango varieties are the main core of the mango world and were exported across the planet over the past hundreds and thousands of years.

The Nam Dok Mai is the pride of Thailand. Almost every proper mango sticky rice is made with this variety! It has a very distinct slim teardrop shape and is usually a beautiful golden yellow. If you’ve visited Bangkok, you’ll definitely have eaten some Nam Dok Mai (even if you don’t remember it).

The Carabao is the Philippines' national fruit and once held a Guinness World Record (1995) for sweetest mango! It’s really creamy, and the fact that it’s so sweet is why a majority of dried mango is actually made from Carabao. Filipinos also turn this into mango graham float (admittedly I haven’t tried this so let me know if it’s good!).

Australia’s national mango is the Kensington Pride. What a beautiful name for a mango variety. It’s sweet, juicy and looks beautiful with the pink-rose blush on its skin.

The Americas have an embarrassment of mango varieties, mostly because Florida and Mexico became mango breeding grounds in the 20th century. Most of what you see in Western supermarkets comes from this corner of the world!

The Ataulfo is the one many people know of. It’s Mexican and usually marketed as the “champagne mango”. Rich, buttery, smooth and almost fiberless. They’re small and easy to hold in your hands, kidney-shaped and regularly sold in boxes of six or eight.

The Haden is the genetic “parent” of many modern Florida mangoes! It has that iconic red blush with golden flesh.

The Tommy Atkins is the most widely traded mango in the world! Robust, fibrous with mild sweetness. It’s the standard supermarket mango.

The Kent is rich, sweet, tangy and fiberless. If you find Kent at a market, buy it!

The Keitt is the one mango that stays green even when it’s fully ripe. It’s known for its size more than anything (some of these get really huge).

The Carrie is the cult favorite! Small but intense in flavor.

The Red Super Julie is an American variety bred in South Florida. It’s a descendant of the classic Julie mango from the Caribbean (a staple in Jamaica and Trinidad for generations). Growers in Florida took the best flavor traits of the original Julie and improved on its growing characteristics. Bright colorful skin and exceptional sweetness. Worth trying if you can find one!

The Valencia Pride is prized for being spectacularly large and is usually really colorful!

The Francis is Haitian. Green skin with a red blush and soft sweet flesh! Some say it also gives you a hint of spice.

Mango Sticky Rice

If you’ve only ever enjoyed mangoes raw, I challenge you to try making some mango sticky rice! While so many mango sticky rice recipes read incredibly detailed and intimidating, this one I found from Modern Honey is so good! I’ve adapted it for you below:

Ingredients

1 cup Thai glutinous rice
1 can full-fat coconut milk (about 13 oz)
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp sugar, divided
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp cornstarch (optional)
1 ripe mango (Nam Dok Mai if you can find one, otherwise Carabao or Ataulfo)
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Method

Rinse
Put the rice in a bowl and rinse 6 or 7 times in cold water, until the water runs clear instead of milky. Drain. This pulls off the surface starch so the rice cooks clean.
Cook
Add the rice, 1/2 cup of the coconut milk, 1 cup water, 1/4 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to your rice cooker. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed. Most recipes call for the rice to be soaked in water for at least 8 hours (which you can absolutely do) but we are skipping that step and going straight to the cooking. Also, traditional mango sticky rice recipes call for steaming the rice instead of directly cooking it on a stovetop or in a rice cooker. I found that I can get a similar texture by cooking in a rice cooker. Just don't overcook the rice.
Make the sauce
Warm the remaining coconut milk in a small saucepan over low heat with the remaining 2 tbsp sugar. As it begins to bubble, whisk in the cornstarch to thicken slightly. If not using cornstarch, simply let the sauce simmer for longer to thicken. Either way, keep whisking for the smoothest finish. Set aside to cool.
Slice the mango
Peel the mango and slice along either side of the central pit. Lay the cheeks flat and cut into long even pieces (get as aesthetic as you want to!).
Plate
Spoon the warm sticky rice onto a plate. Generously drizzle with coconut cream sauce. Lay the mango slices alongside. Scatter sesame seeds across the top. Serve right away. The rice should be warm, the mango cool against it.

Everything is better in pairs

Snack on watermelon with some feta. Slice runny yolk over perfectly toasted sourdough. Soak your dates in espresso. Make summer bruschetta. Enjoy a Sunday affogato. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil over ice cream (trust me on this one). Watch Wimbledon with homemade strawberries & cream. Everything is better in pairs 🤍

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This recipe is different.
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