Top 3 mango varieties poll

[Cookie Monster]

I think it's location and care specific. I have 3 lemon zest trees, in ground for an average of 10 years each (I bought the first batch to be released to the public), and I don't have much of a problem with MBBS. LZ has very similar MBBS incidence to the other 35 or so cultivars I grow (with the exception of Keitt which is an MBBS magnet).

I know it's been said that orange sherbet has better MBBS resistance. But my experience is that MBBS incidence on OS is roughly equivalent to LZ (perhaps due to the fact that it matures later season than LZ). I had a fruiting OS tree before it was ever released to the public and have been growing it a number of years.

Lemon Zest tastes great, but is extremely susceptible to MBBS. I got rid of mine for that reason alone.

[Cookie Monster]

Yes, far too many variables involved. For example, Nam Doc Mai, when eaten at the right stage is a top tier mango, with an excellent subacid and sweet combo and great complexity of flavor. Eaten at the wrong stage, it's not appealing at all.

Same with growing experiences. Lots of variability even within the south florida area.

All polls are tricky regarding validity.

There is a wide degree of variability in availability of the listed mangoes, so most will have never tried all mangoes, and many will have only been sampled by a small percentage of respondents. The only way to truly Fruit Fight is in a fruit-to-fruit face off taste test.

Doing another Sweet Tart Ceci Love battle. Will let OS jump in there too. Whatever happens, I win.

[Greater Good]

My Keitt gets black spot mildly. A few fruit get infected and are promptly removed. Benefit of a backyard grower who checks his fruits frequently..For this reason, I planted a Venus 20 ft away this March.

Interesting that Venus didn't make the list in the poll.

[Jaboticaba45]

As someone who has tasted all of those options but 3, I felt like I had a fair say…but then there are so many other factors also…for example if the fruit isn’t picked at perfect time then there’s a propensity for me to not like it as much compared to one that was. That said all the varieties listed are very good tastewise. I’d just go off of growth and performance based on your location and if you like citrus flavors or Indochinese etc.

[Cookie Monster]

Good point. Venus is one of my favorites: great indochinese flavor, consistent production, smaller / easy to control tree, good disease resistance, and late season. I was just telling my wife that we need to plant another one in the grove.

Interesting that Venus didn't make the list in the poll.

[Honest Abe]

I voted

Sugarloaf
Peach cobbler
Honey kiss


HOWEVER Of that list, I would say that in the same equal class of elite flavor is ALSO

orange sherbet
Lemon zest
Cecilove
Sweet tart

Those 7 smoke all others on the list. IN MY OPINION.

[Timbogrow]

Good point. Venus is one of my favorites: great indochinese flavor, consistent production, smaller / easy to control tree, good disease resistance, and late season. I was just telling my wife that we need to plant another one in the grove.

Interesting that Venus didn't make the list in the poll.

Not to mention the fruit size is gigantic. The ones I had last week were top tier excellence! The m4 I ate this morning was really really really delicious also!

[Elijah]

Good point. Venus is one of my favorites: great indochinese flavor, consistent production, smaller / easy to control tree, good disease resistance, and late season. I was just telling my wife that we need to plant another one in the grove.

Interesting that Venus didn't make the list in the poll.

Not to mention the fruit size is gigantic. The ones I had last week were top tier excellence! The m4 I ate this morning was really really really delicious also!

Venus sounds good to me. As long as fruit taste good and produce a lot of them, that is the one I should get. I ate a store-bought mango yesterday ( no name on the sticker but assume it is kent). It was full of juice and delicious. My cutting board was flowing with juice. I ate kent mango before and it was not as delicious as this one. Now I am thinking it is all about picking a fruit in right time and ripening. I am wondering how Venus will grow in San Diego climate.

[Jose Spain]

For example, Nam Doc Mai, when eaten at the right stage is a top tier mango, with an excellent subacid and sweet combo and great complexity of flavor. Eaten at the wrong stage, it's not appealing at all.

Could you elaborate a bit about the right stage for NDM? I remember reading your explanations about this topic for Maha but for NDM they went under my radar, sorry if you already explained in another thread

[EddieF]

Good point about when eaten in ripeness stage.
I've been meaning to ask about wide eating window mangos.
I want something that tastes great for a week, not excellent 1 day
Example- my 1st yr fruiting Cogshall & M4.
Didn't like either at 1st, nailed a couple perfect, big difference. Pickering & Kent too.
Kent's still my fav, big old tree & many fruit/chances to nail one just right.
Next yr i expect Maha, Peach C, Phoenix & Raw honey to fruit.

[skhan]

Good point. Venus is one of my favorites: great indochinese flavor, consistent production, smaller / easy to control tree, good disease resistance, and late season. I was just telling my wife that we need to plant another one in the grove.

Interesting that Venus didn't make the list in the poll.

Venus, Zinc and Cac should be on the list.
All of them great, no problems with MBBS on anything other than Edgar and Kiett.

[mytropicalbackyard]

Mahachanok has been my favorite so far, when I tasted it i couldn't describe it. The perfect mango in my opinion, some may say it's carrot/parsnip-ey but to me the philippine tastes like carrot. Second on the list for me is the Carla mango, it tasted like a delicious pineapple/soursop/monstera flavor IMO with a really nice subacid flavor. I picked them up at Julie's in apopka which she got from Zill

[Cookie Monster]

Pick them mature green. Allow to ripen indoors and eat at first sign of give when pressed. Picking mature green allows them to retain some acidity. It just takes some experimentation with eating them at different stages of ripeness.

For example, Nam Doc Mai, when eaten at the right stage is a top tier mango, with an excellent subacid and sweet combo and great complexity of flavor. Eaten at the wrong stage, it's not appealing at all.

Could you elaborate a bit about the right stage for NDM? I remember reading your explanations about this topic for Maha but for NDM they went under my radar, sorry if you already explained in another thread

[Jose Spain]

Pick them mature green. Allow to ripen indoors and eat at first sign of give when pressed. Picking mature green allows them to retain some acidity. It just takes some experimentation with eating them at different stages of ripeness.

For example, Nam Doc Mai, when eaten at the right stage is a top tier mango, with an excellent subacid and sweet combo and great complexity of flavor. Eaten at the wrong stage, it's not appealing at all.

Could you elaborate a bit about the right stage for NDM? I remember reading your explanations about this topic for Maha but for NDM they went under my radar, sorry if you already explained in another thread

Thanks!

[nileshkwr]

Result as on 30.07.2023

[johnb51]

Result as on 30.07.2023

#1: SweetTart
#2: Lemon Zest
#3: Orange Sherbet