The mango tree is considered sacred in India, the land of the fruit's origin. Now this delectable fruit is cultivated in temperate climates around the world, including California and Florida. Mangoes grow in a wide variety of shapes (oblong, kidney and round) and sizes (from about 6 ounces to 4 pounds). Their thin, tough skin is green and, as the fruit ripens, becomes yellow with beautiful red mottling. The fragrant flesh is a brilliant golden orange, exceedingly juicy and exotically sweet and tart. Perhaps the only negative to the mango is the huge, flat seed that traverses its length. The fruit must be carefully carved away from the seed with a sharp knife. Mangoes are in season from May to September, though imported fruit is in the stores sporadically throughout the remainder of the year. Look for fruit with an unblemished, yellow skin blushed with red. Because the seed is so oversized, the larger the mango the higher the fruit-to-seed ratio. Underripe fruit can be placed in a paper bag at room temperature. Ripe mangoes can be placed in a plastic bag and held in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Mangoes need no embellishment and are delicious simply peeled and eaten plain. They're also wonderful in fruit salads and have long been made into chutney. Canned mangoes and mango nectar are available in many supermarkets. Fresh mangoes are rich in vitamins A, C and D. Packaged dried mango comes in chunks and strips and is available in health-food stores and many gourmet markets. It must be rehydrated in warm water for about 4 hours before being used in baked goods, preserves, etc. Green mango is the unripe fruit, which has many uses in the cuisines of India, Malaysia and Thailand. This tart fruit is used fresh in various vegetable and lentil dishes, as well as to tenderize meat (just like papaya, green mango contains enzymes that will break down connective tissue). Fresh green mango is pickled and sold as a condiment for Indian dishes. Dried green mango has many uses, one of the most popular being to make amchoor, an Indian seasoning used to flavor many dishes. Green mango may be purchased in various forms in Asian and Indian markets.