Eight (8) Varieties of Nigerian Mangoes

Updated 3rd June 2022

Yes, mango fever is here, stalls decorated with baskets of green and orange, red-blushed, and almost tan fruit in varieties from Cotonou to Ogbomosho.

Mangoes

For a long time, I paid no heed to the varieties of mangoes in fruit stalls and on the streets for I’ve only ever liked one variety of mangoes – ‘Normal mango’ according to the sellers on the streets. Also known as Ogbomosho, Calabar / Kwaba, Enugu and Abuja mangoes. I’m sorry if I can’t get the proper name for you…bear with me. It is a journey.

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I’ve come across eight or so varieties of mangoes this season and those past.

Apparently, we have over ten (10) cultivars of le mangue in Nigeria.

First step, identify cultivars

Second step, carry out a taste test

Third step, identify which variety is best for eating, cooking, juicing et al

So fascinating and easy to see why people have favourites – both in taste and manner of eating. I shall not prescribe 🙂

Some favour firm, sweet and ripe.

Some like it at room temperature, some like it cold. Refrigerated.

Some like it cut up. Some like to eat it by hand.

Some like it in salads. Others in drinks. Even more in everything from custard to cake.

Which ever you like, here’s a quick guide to the varieties I’ve come across:

Cotonou Mango

Skin Colour: Green, with a little red blush

Flesh Colour: Pale lemon Yellow

Shape & Size: Large,  ellipse-shaped

Flavor: Fresh and sour. Tastes like pineapple when ripe 😐

Texture: firm, not fibrous

Ripening Cues: Softens with pressure, no visible colour change

Peak Availability: March – April

Available in other countries: ??? Similar to the Bombay

Great for: Asian-style, unripe mango salads

Mangoes

Opioro

Skin Colour: Green

Flesh Colour: Yellow

Shape & Size: Long & large

Flavor: Fresh and sour

Texture: firm, not fibrous

Ripening Cues: Softens with pressure, no visible colour change

Peak Availability: February/ March

Available in other countries: ???

Great for: Asian-style, unripe mango salads

Mangoes

Benue Mangoes

Skin Colour: Green, with a little yellow; Red with yellow – a few varieties characterised by their size

Flesh Colour: Pale yellow – light orange

Shape & Size: Large – some are as big as melons

Flavor: Fresh and sour

Texture: Firm, not fibrous

Ripening Cues: Softens with pressure, skin colour lightens with a touch of yellow

Peak Availability: April?

Available in other countries: Similar to the Guinea Mango???

Great for: Asian-style, unripe mango salads

A #gift of #Benue #mangoes. From @zswstudio. Merci, dear. They'll be ready by Saturday.
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Normal (Ogbomosho/ Enugu (Eastern)/ Calabar/ Abuja/ Yellow) Mangoes

Skin Colour: Bright yellow skin with orange and red blush

Flesh Colour: Yellow

Shape: Oblong

Flavor: Sweet with a hint of spice

Texture: Varies from firm to soft and juicy; fibrous flesh

Ripening Cues: Green overtones diminish and the yellow becomes more golden as the Francis ripens. Squeeze gently to judge ripeness.

Peak Availability: February to – 

Available in other countries: ???

Great for: Sweet and savoury preparations and puree, but you have to pass through a sieve to get rid of the fibres

Mangoes

Sheri Mango

Other names: Cherie, Sherry, Cherry. Believed to be the same as the most beloved Alphonso mango of India, of which love letters and gifts to kings have been made.

Skin Colour: Green

Flesh Colour: dark yellow – orange;

Shape: ellipse-shaped

Flavor: Sweet, rich and spicy, with aftertaste of ‘turpentine/kerosene’

Texture: Firm flesh, holds shape when cut

Ripening Cues: Green overtones diminish and yellow becomes dominant

Peak Availability: February to – 

Available in other countries: ???

Great for: Sweet and savoury preparations and puree, but you have to pass through a sieve to get rid of the fibres

Mangoes

Julie Mango

Skin Colour: Green

Flesh Colour: dark yellow – orange

Shape: Ovate and flat

Flavor: Rich

Texture: Juicy flesh

Ripening Cues: Touch of yellow at the base

Peak Availability: February to

Available in other countries: ???

Best for: ???

Mango cream

Peter / Jane/ Binta Sugar (?) Mangoes

Skin Colour: Green

Flesh Colour: Orange

Shape & Size: Large

Flavor: Sour unripe? Sweet, like sugar some say when ripe?

Texture: Firm

Ripening Cues: Yellow/ Red blush

Peak Availability: March – April?

Available in other countries: ??? 

Great for: Asian-style, unripe mango salads

It took me 3 seasons of eating mangoes to realise that we have an astounding variety of #mangoes in #Nigeria. This season, I've had 4 or 5 varieties. In this photo, there are 3 sorts. Top - Peter mangoes. Green-skinned, somewhat sour and orange on the

Photo above, from top to bottom: Peter, Enugu, German Mango/ Opioro

Photo below, green ones are Peter mangoes. Not sure what the red ones are

#Mangoes. #Red and #Green. #Tropicalfruit #instafood #inseason

Kerosene Mango?

Skin Colour: Pale peach

Flesh Colour: Yellow – Orange

Shape: ellipse-shaped

Flavor: Aftertaste of turpentine/ kerosene

Texture: Varies from firm to soft and juicy; fibrous flesh

Ripening Cues: Green overtones diminish and peachy-tan colour prevails

Peak Availability: February to ?

Available in other countries: ???
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So, ladies and gentlemen, here are eight (8) varieties of Mangoes I’ve encountered so far.

If you know of any others and have photos, please share. If you have updates on the names and flavours and anything else, let me know. Merci…

25 Comments

  1. I have never gotten over the dumbness of calling Opioro “German”. Like there’s any variety of mango that grows in Germany?

    • You are right. That’s wild now I think about it and only makes sense from a colonization perspective of claiming and naming what already was. Thanks and update in progress!

  2. Thank you for this article. It’s 2021 and I was looking for the best time to visit Nigeria in 2022 to meet the mango season and glad someone wrote about it.
    My favorite mangoe is the German mango, hardly has any rot or bug and of they do very easy to spot. Great taste too. Then the Benue mango is next. Do you know the skin the part facing the mangoe taste like sugar? That’s my fave thing to do ,suck on the skin but don’t chew the entire thing.Me n mum discovered this specie on one of our trips to Abuja .o boy memories.

  3. Thank you so much for this! I found your site after doing a search for “German plum.” I was inspired by an advertisement for dwarf mango trees. The German plums are my favorite. I also would love to know it’s scientific name.

  4. Kerosene mango is available in India.
    Often is not the desired fruit but it is usually a leftover of the grafting process.
    Kerosene mango plans grow very fast, hence they are generally used as a base and all the other branches will be cut off and the stem will be used as a base for grafting into another tree. However, sometimes it will grow a branch or two. My farm in southern India used to have a plant with a branch. I am not sure whether that tree survived droughts in 2000s.

  5. Educative and commendable I got exactly what I was looking for , as a journalist putting up report on mango dryer technology

  6. So informative!! .you re doing a great job dear. I be been privileged to enjoy all this varieties as I lived across west Africa… They are, but goodness from our loving God. I never thought of making out time to mentally ponder about the varieties in themselves. You gave full detail about mangoes .. Thumbs up!

  7. […] This time I reserved some of the slushie ice-cream before freezing it solid and put it into these nifty “Annabel Karmel by NUK ice lolly moulds”.  There are lots of different ice-cream moulds available, but I quite like the grippy handle on these.  PS.  Kitchen Butterfly has an awesome post on varieties of Nigerian Mangoes! […]

  8. ThOse red ones might be called I think Philo. As in Philomena. Grows in Adamawa. It might be the same as the one called Atiku mango- I think because they grow on his farm.

    There are some pure yellow, tiny ones too. Really sweet and fibrous. Have no clue of the names.

    My faves are Julie mangoes! I love the taste, plus they remind me of Vegfru mango juice

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