The dual-island Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago is thought for its superb cuisine and spectacular street food, but on July 4 and seven, the nation of foodies pays homage to the king of tropical fruit.
Sweet, juicy and flexible, delicious mangoes of each size and sort would be the focus of Trinidad and Tobago’s fourth annual Mango Festival so that you can be hung on July 7.
Featuring a mango market, mango products, grafting demonstrations, exhibitions, children’s activities, games, mango-eating competitions, and other entertainment, Trinidad and Tobago’s Mango Festival offers mangophiles every imaginable mango-made delight, from soaps and preserves to candles and gift paper.
A highlight of the festival is the mango market where numerous the locally-grown fruit, including the sinfully sweet Julie, considered the queen of mangoes, which was developed in Trinidad, and other varieties with whimsical names similar to Rose, Hog, Calabash, Douxdoux, La Brea Gyul, Turpentine, and Graham – a seedling of the Julie mango – can be bought.
Preceding the festival would be the island’s second Mango Conference on July 4, that’s also being hosted under the auspices of the Network of Rural Women Producers (NRWP) of Trinidad and Tobago.
Highlighting the contribution of rural communities and agri-entrepreneurs to national economic development, Trinidad and Tobago’s Mango Festival also promotes economic opportunities in the course of the sustainable use of the mango, and educates participants at the many benefits of the much-loved fruit.
Known because the “king of fruit” through the world, mangoes were dropped at the West Indies by Portuguese traders. In some cultures, the mango tree is an emblem of affection, and the fruit is legendary to be bursting with flavor in addition to protective nutrients including vitamin C and beta carotene.
In Trinidad and Tobago, mango trees are planted as component of re-forestation programs due to the their extensive root systems that hold the soil and stop erosion. The fruits also are an outstanding source of food for birds and other animals.
The fourth annual Trinidad and Tobago Mango Festival would be hung on Sunday, July 7, 2013, on the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Field Station, Mount Hope, Trinidad.