Is a Mango a Citrus Fruit?
Mangos are a tropical fruit. Citrus fruits also grow in warm climates but are different in classification from tropical fruits.
Citrus and tropical fruits are often mistaken to be the same classification of fruit, but there are differences. While both citrus and tropical fruits are grown in warm climates, citrus fruits refer specifically to the genus of flowering fruits in the Rutaceae family, which include oranges, grapefruits and lemons as well as certain other species and hybrids such as the pomelo, key lime and citron. Their origins trace back to regions of Asia, Australia and New Guinea.
Tropical fruits have origins in the tropical regions of the world, which include the region between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. However, both tropical and subtropical fruits thrive in areas outside those latitiudinal boundaries.
Mangos, known scientifically as Mangifera Indica, originated in and around Southeast Asia, and have been identified as one of the oldest tropical fruits. They are nicknamed “the apple of the tropics.” They are a drupe fruit, meaning their flesh surrounds a single seed. Mangos are very versatile and may be eaten while unripe or after ripening, are made into juice, and are also used in jams, sauces and chutneys.
