Author Topic: Wild Mangoes & Wangoes (Read 2512 times)

roblack · « **on:** April 24, 2022, 01:48:20 PM »

Hello fruit lovers!

Does anyone have info on mangifera mempalam? I have 2 fruits, which are ripening, and planning on growing out the seeds. Was wondering if anyone has info on this species, fruit, etc. Thanks.

shot · « **Reply #1 on:** April 24, 2022, 07:15:46 PM »

?? can't find info with that spelling??

I was eating some Mariam plums today.

David H · « **Reply #2 on:** April 24, 2022, 07:28:54 PM »

"Mempalam" is a an Indonesian word for "Mango". I've just checked Kosterman's " The Mangoes",and there is no listing for a Mangifera mempalam.

roblack · « **Reply #3 on:** April 24, 2022, 08:05:38 PM »

From Sarawak

Think it is actually mangifera pentandra. Mempalam appears to be a local name.

David H · « **Reply #4 on:** April 24, 2022, 11:18:35 PM »

A few excerpts from Kostermans on M. pentandra if it's any help.
Tree: up to 28m. tall and 90cm dbh. . Crown wide,massive with drooping gnarled thick limbs.
Distribution: In the Malay Peninsula,a formerly common village tree,more rare in North Borneo,perhaps also in Thailand. Wet,evergreen tropical forest,lowlands.
Fruit : oblong,7.5-10 x 5-6.5 cm,green at maturity,rather fragrant,pulp watery,pale orange,sweet,not very fibrous,in young fruit no visible beak Seed small.oblong, 4-5 x 3-3.5 x 1.5-2 cm.flattened with deep furrows and few short fibres.
Notes : In general habit it resembles M. indica but the conspicuous leaf reticulation makes it easy to distinguish.but should not be mistaken for that of M.odorata. The very dense indumentum of the panicles is outstanding.

roblack · « **Reply #5 on:** April 25, 2022, 09:31:07 AM »

Cool, thanks David! Might be good for juice. Will report on the fruit asap.

fliptop · « **Reply #6 on:** April 25, 2022, 10:27:20 AM »

roblack, definitely let us know how it tastes, fiber content, etc. Also, if it's polyembryonic and growth habit, once you plant out the seed. Thanks!

roblack · « **Reply #7 on:** April 25, 2022, 12:20:16 PM »

Might be good for breeding projects. Does well in humid areas.

roblack · « **Reply #8 on:** April 26, 2022, 09:09:03 AM »

Here is a link with some info/same info David posted:

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/6/7/6787

roblack · « **Reply #9 on:** April 28, 2022, 09:56:24 AM »

Mempalam Update:

130 grams.

First fruit tasted too funky. Had rotten spot inside, and was like overripened m. kasturi.

2nd fruit was juicy and delicious. A bit of fiber, and not a ton of flesh, but really sweet and spicy, little acid. Interesting and definitely not bland. The juice is great. I like it better than m. kasturi.

Here are the fruits:

roblack · « **Reply #10 on:** April 28, 2022, 10:34:34 PM »

Quote from: shot on April 24, 2022, 07:15:46 PM

?? can't find info with that spelling??

I was eating some Mariam plums today.

How were those maprang? Were they just sweet, or was there any acidity? Looking forward to trying soon.

fliptop · « **Reply #11 on:** April 29, 2022, 01:52:15 PM »

roblack, would you say the fruit is more like kasturi as opposed to indica?

roblack · « **Reply #12 on:** April 29, 2022, 03:06:22 PM »

Quote from: fliptop on April 29, 2022, 01:52:15 PM

roblack, would you say the fruit is more like kasturi as opposed to indica?

It reminded me more of a pronounced Indian m. indica than kasturi. A good kasturi reminds me of a spicy Indian mango too, but with some other weirdness to it, which is quite strong. I can't eat an overripe kasturi; in fact I think I like them a little underripe. M. pentandra seemed more like indica, with spicy and fruity complexity. Strong sweetness, the other flavors were more subtle. Larger fruit than kasturi, and more flesh, but juicy and hard to cut without making a mess. More fiber than I usually like. I had a great time eating around the seed lemur style. Might be best as a mango novelty for eating, and more of a staple juice-wise. Move over OJ

fliptop · « **Reply #13 on:** April 30, 2022, 07:08:28 PM »

Great review, roblack!

roblack · « **Reply #14 on:** May 01, 2022, 10:54:17 AM »

Thanks fliptop!

Sampled fruit #3 this morning. Approached from a strictly juice standpoint. The fruit was small, pretty soft, and green (others had yellow/orange in them when ripe). Put the squeeze on each half, and collected a couple of ounces of light orangish juice. The fiber hung on to the skin, but broke up easily. Was nice to add some fiber to the juice as their was some pulp hanging on with juice and flavor. Couple of strings between the teeth, totally worth it.

Tastewise, this one was more sour than the previous 2, and less pronounced resin/spice. It reminded me of a good mango - orange juice blend. Quite sweet and tart, needed nothing added. Could drink this everyday.

I'm definitely growing these seeds out, and will add a tree or scions to our collection.

ben mango · « **Reply #15 on:** May 01, 2022, 11:04:16 AM »

Do you think this may be considered a wetland mango like foetida and kasturi?

roblack · « **Reply #16 on:** May 01, 2022, 01:21:39 PM »

Quote from: ben mango on May 01, 2022, 11:04:16 AM

Do you think this may be considered a wetland mango like foetida and kasturi?

I'm not sure, but think it comes from Sarawak. Local climate is warm and humid, with drier spell during winter. My guess is it likes hot and humid. Grown locally here (Miami area), so seems to do well with our climate. Poor mango season this year, but seeing lots of these.

I will ask my source and see what they know.

roblack · « **Reply #17 on:** May 08, 2022, 12:17:19 PM »

Update:

The mangifera species I've been posting about (mempalam) is not mangifera pentadra. Just received fruits of m. pentandra, and was told that mempalam is a yet to be named species. Will post pics and give review on m. pentandra shortly.

Here is the fruit, not yet ready for consumption:

fliptop · « **Reply #18 on:** May 08, 2022, 05:17:46 PM »

The plot thickens . . .

roblack · « **Reply #19 on:** May 26, 2022, 01:41:55 PM »

Add 2 more.

M. zeylanica
Tried a few days ago and difficult to recall the taste in detail. Similar to mempalam and pentandra, sweet with some complexity. Need to try more. Perhaps tallest of mango relatives.

M. laurina
small to medium sized. Not much fiber, not a ton of flesh. Flavor is very good. Sweet, good acid balance, with some complexity, citrus and resin. Fairly juicy, noted to be very juicy when all the way ripe. Probably my favorite of the 4 discussed so far in this thread, sweetest. Tree reportedly gets very tall.

Wonder how vigorous these will be grafted onto indica. Growing all seeds out.

elouicious · « **Reply #20 on:** May 26, 2022, 03:23:06 PM »

The real question is where are you getting all these rare mangoes?

roblack · « **Reply #21 on:** May 26, 2022, 07:38:29 PM »

roblack · « **Reply #22 on:** May 26, 2022, 08:06:13 PM »

m. pentandra

Pentandra was similar to mempalam. Some fiber, juicy, sweet/sour mix with some spice and complexity. Not as powerful flavor, but good. Another good juice source.

Future · « **Reply #23 on:** May 27, 2022, 12:50:02 PM »

For those of us absent dry seasons and no appreciable cool season, these could be interesting prospects beyond kasturi. Keen to hear more b

roblack · « **Reply #24 on:** May 28, 2022, 11:22:59 AM »

I agree Future, potentially useful genetics in these little treats.

Tried m. altissima this morning. Small fruit with a little fiber, not bad. Sweet, not much complexity. Worth eating.

Not sure what the other one is.

roblack · « **Reply #25 on:** May 28, 2022, 01:02:10 PM »

So far, I would rate in order of favorite to least favorite:

1) m. laurina (little flavor bomb)

2) m. sp? mempalam (yummy juice)

3) m. pentandra (similar to mempalam, less intense)

4) m. zeylanica (similar to mempalam, less intense)

5) m. casturi (funky)

6) m. altissima (sweet and simple)

Limited sampling, and could vary considerably, this is my experience.

New one to try in a day or so, m. sp? mangifera?

roblack · « **Reply #26 on:** May 28, 2022, 04:02:43 PM »

Thought it was at least a day off, but was soft so tore into lone m. mangifera? (sp?)

Wow! Wonderful flavor. Sweet with some sour, complex and spicy. Juicy. Some fibers, but not a problem. This fruit is excellent. As good or better than m. laurina.

Just to be clear, this and m. laurina and mempalam were better in flavor than most available mango fruits in store.

fliptop · « **Reply #27 on:** May 28, 2022, 04:15:31 PM »

When you say "spicy", do you mean like a Carrie? Are you offering any seeds of the M. mangifera or M. laurina? Not that I have space for another tree . . . or do I?

roblack · « **Reply #28 on:** May 28, 2022, 04:39:24 PM »

That's a good question Fliptop. Wish I was better at discerning different flavor profiles and communicating such accurately. I am sure we can all relate to this: there are flavors/tastes I cannot accurately explain, as our vocabulary and understanding of these things is limited. I am sure, if we look across cultures and languages, that much of this has been covered and described, yet is not translatable.

Haven't had a Carrie in a while (got one ripening on the counter), Carrie, Kesar, and Alphonso are mangoes I associate with the flavor of "spice." Piney and funky if not overdone, not spicy in a hot type of way. By "spice" I mean anything interesting, aromatic, and pleasant beyond sweet, sour, coconut, guava, and citrus flavors.

roblack · « **Reply #29 on:** May 29, 2022, 10:40:54 AM »

Found another mangifera sp2? (not mempalam) in box o' goodies. Excellent flavor, juicy, with some fibers. Larger than the other wild mini mangoes. This one is good for both juice and eating out of hand. Solidifying its place at #1 in my wild mini mango tasting.

Not selling any seeds Fliptop. If there were more and knew they germinate well, would sell. Going to see if they grow out, and then will look at trades with whatever comes up. I would prefer to share material with people who will grow out and share with others, like some of our active members, such as yourself.

Future · « **Reply #30 on:** May 30, 2022, 05:30:34 PM »

Quote from: elouicious on May 26, 2022, 03:23:06 PM

The real question is where are you getting all these rare mangoes?

I concur

roblack · « **Reply #31 on:** June 05, 2022, 04:31:16 PM »

Check these out:

Wango 1 and Wango 2 are mango x wild mango hybrids.

Tenom is unnamed mango (mangifera sp?) from Singapore area.

Will report back upon tasing.

...was able to try Wango 2. It was fiberless and sweet. Similar to NDM, but with something extra. Definitely better than NDM.

roblack · « **Reply #32 on:** June 05, 2022, 09:26:37 PM »

Quote from: Future on May 30, 2022, 05:30:34 PM

Quote from: elouicious on May 26, 2022, 03:23:06 PM
The real question is where are you getting all these rare mangoes?

I concur

I get around

roblack · « **Reply #33 on:** June 07, 2022, 09:42:34 AM »

Got some updates.

While it is fun to imagine traveling to exotic locations and sourcing these delights, I just took a short drive down the road.

I have received permission to reveal my source of wild mangoes and Wangoes (wild mango x indica hybrids): MangoMen of Homestead.

...and now for the most recent tasting:

Just tried Tenom (m. sp?). Biggest so far of all the wild mangoes sampled. No fiber and pretty juicy. Good amount of edible fruit, seed not too big. Taste is very good. Similar to the others in having a blend of sweet, sour, and resin/spice. Spice seems a little less pronounced than others, such as mempalam, but noticeable and pleasant. Hard to properly rate these with limited sampling, but think this is the new #1.

skhan · « **Reply #34 on:** June 07, 2022, 09:47:53 AM »

This is good stuff Rob.
It would be great if we can organize this all by the end of the season with photos and write ups.
I'd be happy to help.

roblack · « **Reply #35 on:** June 07, 2022, 10:57:52 AM »

That sounds like a fun idea, and help is always welcome. Thanks!

Sampling a few more wild ones either today or tomorrow, will report back.

roblack · « **Reply #36 on:** June 07, 2022, 02:52:38 PM »

Here is Wango 1

Small size, 115 grams.

Low fiber, with some juice. Decent amount of edible fruit.

Flavor is really nice and different. Mostly sweet, only detected mild acidity around the seed. Noticed another flavor that is hard to describe, and then some piney resin. Some complexity to this little piece of jungle candy.

roblack · « **Reply #37 on:** June 08, 2022, 01:43:50 PM »

Wango 2 (m. indica x wild mango - parentage TBD)
323 grams. Ripens green, no color change. This one was overripe, but good. Smooth, very low fiber. Sweet, tiny bit of resin. Will eat 2nd one less ripe to see if flavor improves.

Update: Wango 2 2nd tasting. This one was eaten a little too early. Sour and sweet. Smooth and little to no fiber.

Depih Biasy (wild mango, m. sp?)
70 grams. Probably a little underripe. Sour with sweetness and floral citrus flavors. Good, but too sour for many. Probably would be better if left another day, will let the other one ripen more before tasting.

Update: Depih B 2nd tasting. This one was sweet, sour, and citrusy. Still more sour than many would like, would like to let it ripen more. But quite good as it was.

roblack · « **Reply #38 on:** June 08, 2022, 01:46:37 PM »

Tried 2nd Tenom. Was larger than 1st, but did not ripen well. Taste was sweet, but a little off. Was able to enjoy some of it nonetheless.

dwfl · « **Reply #39 on:** June 08, 2022, 05:13:07 PM »

Have you gotten to try Mangifera lalijiwa yet Rob?

roblack · « **Reply #40 on:** June 08, 2022, 05:22:27 PM »

Quote from: dwfl on June 08, 2022, 05:13:07 PM

Have you gotten to try Mangifera lalijiwa yet Rob?

Have not, but will see if I can! =)

Did not realize Alex had that one.

roblack · « **Reply #41 on:** June 09, 2022, 08:35:03 PM »

Here's Dr. Campbell and Thiago talking about Wangoes, with more background on lineage:

https://www.facebook.com/watch?v=422051369535678

mysteryknight · « **Reply #42 on:** June 09, 2022, 10:46:58 PM »

Hey All,

I am growing in San Diego. I am part of the California Rare Fruit Growers San Diego chapter. I am happy to be part of this forum. Its great that there are so many plant nerds like us! I would love to buy some seeds of these different wild mango species and see how they grow here/share with the rest of the club. Would anyone be willing to share budwood/seeds?

James

roblack · « **Reply #43 on:** June 10, 2022, 09:49:09 AM »

Do not think MM are releasing these yet, and I am going to sit on seeds for now.

roblack · « **Reply #44 on:** April 21, 2023, 03:37:13 PM »

Mempalam are back! This fruit is so damn good. Some stringy fiber, which I'm diggin' this time of year. Complex and hard to beat balance of flavors. Messy and fun to eat out of hand, or make jamming juice.

elouicious · « **Reply #45 on:** April 22, 2023, 01:06:43 PM »

Damn you and your amazing mangoes roblack!

jk- im just jealous

roblack · « **Reply #46 on:** April 22, 2023, 04:20:52 PM »

Quote from: elouicious on April 22, 2023, 01:06:43 PM

Damn you and your amazing mangoes roblack!

jk- im just jealous

And I feel a sense of loss in not being able to enjoy a mempalam and others together. I will soothe my grief with another delicious fruit, but know that I am at least partly sad.

...and messy, these things are juicy

News:

Author Topic: Wild Mangoes & Wangoes (Read 2512 times)