Mango
A Global History
Mary Newman author Constance L Kirker author
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Reaktion Books
Published:1st Aug '24
Should be back in stock very soon
This beautifully illustrated book takes us on a tour through the rich world of mangoes, which inspire fervent devotion across the world. In South Asia, mangoes boast a history steeped in Hindu and Buddhist mythology, even earning a mention in the Kama Sutra. Beyond myth, mangoes hold literary significance as a potent metaphor. While mango-flavoured smoothies grace Western shelves, the true essence of sweet, juicy mangoes or tangy, unripe varieties is a rarity: supermarket offerings often prioritize shelf-life over taste. True mango aficionados savour the sensory delight of over a thousand vibrant varieties, relishing colours, flavours from sweet to sour, diverse textures, and fragrances.
Mango-lovers contend that to enjoy this tropical fruit you have to embrace its drippy, sticky essence. The scholars Constance L. Kirker and Mary Newman embrace this perspective in Mango: A Global History, arguing that ‘the total experience of smell, touch, taste and texture is the very point of a mango’ . . . Those looking to enjoy Mango fully might be advised to treat the history like the fruit itself: Sink your teeth in and embrace the mess. -- Jennifer Bortner * Wall Street Journal *
Kirker and Newman’s exhaustive research turns up plenty that informs and entertains . . . readers with a taste for trivia will eat this up. * Publishers Weekly *
Kirker and Newman weave a beautiful narrative around one of South East Asia’s most prized and glorious possessions – the mango. * Sonal Ved, author of Tiffin and Whose Samosa Is It Anyway? *
ISBN: 9781789149159
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
160 pages