Viral photo: Myanmar’s myriad mangoes (plus an explainer on 7 of the more famous types)

A photo of dozens of different types of mangoes in Myanmar has been rocketing around the web, with some even complaining that there are MORE types out there.

What made the photo (cropped version seen above) so interesting was not the collection of mangoes in one place, but that someone had bothered to write the name of the varietals on each piece of fruit.

But what are these varietals?

Luckily, I happen to know my mangoes.

I picked 7 of the more famous types. Each numbered definition below corresponds to the piece of fruit that the number is written on in the image.

So memorize these and then hit the market.

1) Sein Ta Lone: Probably one of the more famous types. You probably heard of it. Means “a diamond,” and is known for its sweetness.

2) Shwe Hin Thar: Bigger than most, also sweet.

3) Yin Kwel: Famous for its combination of sweet and sour flavors.

4) Ma Chit Su: Known for its sour taste. Chit Su is a woman’s name, popular in rural areas, so the whole thing transates to “Ms. Chit Su.”

5) War So: Corresponds to the name of the month in the Burmese calendar when a ton of rain is expected.

6) Thone Lone Ta Taung: Very famous for its size. Probably Myanmar’s longest mango. “Ta Taung” means the distance from the top of the middle finger to the forearm. By adding “thone lone,” it means three “ta taung,” or three of those distances combined.

7) Sin Paung: Means “thigh of an elephant.” As you can imagine, it’s also known for its size.

Are you feeling hungry yet?

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