Which is better for your health—ripe vs raw mangoes?

When it comes to enjoying mangoes, there’s a big debate going on over how we can best enjoy it. Should it be ripe or unripe? Is one better than the other? 

First of all, when it comes to eating, there is no wrong preference. The long stripes of green mango with salt might offer you more satisfaction than a cheek of yellow mango sliced in mouthwatering grids. That’s entirely up to you.

Instead, let’s run through the differences between ripe and unripe mangoes in terms of nutritional value to help you make a well-informed decision of which one to buy when you’re picking fruit at the supermarket.

A study published in the Indian-based Rasayan Journal revealed that unripe mango had significantly less water content (23.5%) than ripe ones, which contained 82.9%. But it also has slightly less sugar, more proteins, less fat, and more minerals. Unripe mangoes were discovered to be a rich source of Vitamin C, while ripe mangoes contain significant amounts of Vitamin A. 

More than the plain fruits themselves, however, it’s important to remember how Filipinos enjoy the variations of their national fruit. Ripe mangoes are usually eaten on their own. Otherwise, they’re best enjoyed in the company of other sweet ingredients. Think mango sago, mango ice cream, fruit salad, mango float. A few years ago, one of the biggest food trends in the country was Maxi Mango, a chain of stalls that peddled mango shaved ice with a smothering of toppings, like Graham crackers, chocolate, cheese, and nuts. The ripe version is also primarily used for dried mangoes and jam. 

In savory dishes, the sweetness of ripe mangoes benefits as a sauce or in a salad. It also features heavily in Western-Japanese dishes that Filipinos love so much, such as the California maki and the mango avocado sushi roll. 

Unripe green mangoes, on the other hand, are normally eaten with salt or bagoong (fermented shrimp paste). They are also often pickled with salt and sugar. This burong mangga (pickled mango) is often employed in ensalada, a Filipino-style side salad, which works to brighten heavier dishes. Another version of a green mango ensalada can also come with raw onions, tomatoes, and bagoong. In some regions, green mango is also used as a souring agent in sinigang, the iconic sour stew. 

While there are differences in the nutritional content of ripe and unripe mangoes, one must also weigh in how the fruit was prepared. A mango cake, for example, is unlikely to be healthier than a green mango salad. But most commercial bagoong, the perfect complement to green mangoes, has extremely high salt content. 

Mangoes are generally healthy, but everything has its own pros and cons. We recommend choosing the side of moderation.