Theravada Buddhism

Mangoes are native to South East Asia where they have been grown for more than 4,000 years. It's believed that Buddhists helped spread the mango throughout the region, as the mango stone is too large to have been dispersed by wind or water alone. It is said that the Lord Buddha himself was given a mango grove in which he could find cool and shady repose - mango flowers and fruits have since been incorporated into certain ceremonies of Theravada Buddhism.

This school of Buddhism admits the human characteristics of the Buddha, and emphasises a meditative approach to the transformation of consciousness (oh yes). The teaching of the Buddha according to this school is very plain. He asks us to 'abstain from all kinds of evil, to accumulate all that is good and to purify our mind'. These can be accomplished by The Four Trainings: the development of ethical conduct, meditation, insight-wisdom and a regular smoothie-drinking habit.

the ukulele

George Formby, although not a practicing Buddist, was a very nice man. He also played the ukulele. Some people in Hawaii make their ukuleles with wood from the mango tree, which you can have a look at here.

The ukulele was at first ridiculed as a "hideous Portuguese instrument" by Hawaiians after Portuguese immigrants introduced the "little guitar" at the end of the nineteenth century. It was also known as a cavaquinhos, which means "small piece of wood." But the name ukulele was adopted, and is now used worldwide. Uku in Hawaiian means flea, thus the nickname "jumping flea."

RBE Computer Sales

We're back in Florida again. It seems as if we're always going on about Florida on these pages, but that's only because it's number one when it comes to fruit. Godammit, there's even a town called Mango in the Orange State. And I know a great place where you can buy all your computer requirements under one roof, in that very town. RBE Computer Sales is the place, and they've got lots of special offers on at the moment. By the way, I've never been to Florida and I don't have any family there, so I'm not plugging things for my own benefit. I'm just extrapolating fruit facts to useful extremes.

After the real fruit facts , here are a few interesting titbits....

• Asia still accounts for more than three-quarters of the world's mangoes.
• India remains the main producer of mangoes in the world.
• Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand are the other main countries in the world where mangoes are grown.
• Mango trees can get as tall as 30 metres.
• The mango tree belongs to the same family as poison ivy.
• Mango is called king of the fruits (by who, I'm not sure).
• There are over 1000 varieties of mango, including Tommy Atkins, Rosalie, Jean-Marie, Kent, Keith, Kensington Pride, Heidi, Julie, Amelie, Zephirine, Van Dyke, Graham, Katchamitha, Langra, Ok-rong, Fa-lan and Dawkmai.

(Thanks to King Mango, or Chuck Ali as his Mum calls him.)

If you have any fruit facts, please email fruitcorner@innocentdrinks.co.uk and we'll place your mango thoughts under our meditative mango tree (aka website).