General Information
Despite its name, this fruit isn’t related to the mango. It is actually a cross between two varieties of pale nectarine. It is named for its texture and flavor which blends both mango and nectarine. Sweet, exotic and perfumey, they are a wonderful summer fruit, grown exclusively in California. At an immature stage the Mango Nectarine is a bright green color turning to a vivid yellow when ripe. Serve sliced in a fresh salad, in yogurt or ice cream or simply eat out of hand. The mango nectarine’s season is brief, just 2 or 3 weeks in June and July, so enjoy these sweet, aromatic, California-grown beauties when you see them.
History
Mango nectarines were bred in the late 20th century by fruit grower, David Kamada of Ito Fruit Company in Reedley, California. They resemble the heirloom varieties from the early days of growing stone fruit in California. At that point in California’s agricultural history, nectarines grown in the golden state were small, green-skinned, and white-fleshed. It was in 1942 when the red-skinned Le Grand nectarine appeared in the markets, that the red-blush became a symbol of ripeness. More growers began developing red-skinned nectarine cultivars and the paler yellow and green-fleshed varieties fell out of favor. Nectarines have their origins in southeastern China, where the first fuzz-free stone fruit appeared as a sport itself, on a peach tree. Other yellow-skinned varieties are known to come from Uzbekistan in Central Asia and Japan. The golden, Mango nectarines may be spotted at farmers markets or in specialty stores in southern California. The trees are favorites of stone fruit aficionados.
