Carabao (mango)

The Carabao mango, also known as the Filipino mango or Manila mango among other names, is a variety of particularly sweet mango from the Philippines. It is one of the most important varieties of mango cultivated in the Philippines. The variety is reputed internationally due to its sweetness and exotic taste. The mango variety was listed as the sweetest in the world by the 1995 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records. It is named after the carabao, the national animal of the Philippines and a native Filipino breed of domesticated water buffalo.

Carabao mangoes are around 12.5 cm in length and 8.5 cm in diameter. These fruits are kidney-shaped and can range from being short to elongated. When ripe, the fruit is bright yellow. The flesh is a rich yellow in color with a tender melting consistency, very sweet, and very aromatic. Like other Southeast Asian-type mangoes, it is polyembryonic (in contrast to Indian-type mangoes). Unripe or underripe carabao mangoes are very sour, and are traditionally eaten with condiments like shrimp paste, salt, vinegar, and/or soy sauce or pickled into burong mangga. Fruiting season is usually from late May to early July.

There are 14 different strains of Carabao mango. These strains include the Talaban and Fresco of Guimaras, MMSU Gold of the Ilocos Region and Lamao and Sweet Elena of Zambales. A comparative study conducted by Bureau of Agricultural Research of the Department of Agriculture in 2003 found that the Sweet Elena of Zambales is the sweetest Carabao mango strain.

The Mexican Ataulfo and Manilita mango cultivars descended from the Philippine mango through the Manila galleon trade between 1600 and 1800. Both of these cultivars are sometimes referred to as "Manila mangoes" in trade. During the American colonial period of the Philippines, the Carabao mango was also known as the champagne mango, a name which is now also applied in North American markets to the similar descendant cultivar, Ataulfo. Another common market name for the cultivar is honey mango, which is also used for Ataulfo.