Dried Mangoes
Philippine dried mangoes are a great snack. I think I have been eating dried mangoes from Cebu for at least 25 years. 
Cebu has a reputation for great fresh mangoes but they can be pricey… so it surprises me that it is the main source of dried mangoes in the Philippines…or at least that is what the manufacturers want you to believe. Somehow, the cynic in me believes lots of mangoes from other parts of the country must be dried and labeled Cebu dried mangoes…but I have no proof! Tasty, nutritious and convenient, dried mangoes have become a huge hit and a standard food pasalubong (gift) to take to friends and relatives in the West. When I hanker for something sweet and want to believe it is healthy as well, I reach for a bag of dried mangoes. If you close your eyes and get over the sweetness, there is a definite distinct mango flavor. There are several brands on the market but I have been partial to R&M and lately, Inday’s as a matter of habit. I avoid brands that have too many fibrous pieces. If you buy the dried mangoes fresh (visit the R&M factory in Guadalupe, Cebu when you need them by the box) they are moist, tasty and delicious. Several weeks later they get kind of hard and bark-like.
At about PHP80-90 for a 200 gram pack when purchased at the grocery, these strike me as being a bargain as a kilo of good fresh mangoes would run about PHP60-70 per kilo and you would probably need at least 2 kilos of ripe mango to make 200 grams of dried mango… Perhaps a lot of the weight is in added sugar. I also like to eat dried mango as part of a local “trail mix” that I make. Mix together chopped dried mango, sugared pili nuts, roasted cashews, banana chips etc. and pack into little zip-lock bags to take along on trips, hikes, the beach, etc. for quick energy and a relatively healthy snack. If only someone would take the lead and market these around the globe… imagine if they were featured on the cover of Gourmet or Saveur, we’d be selling millions of packages a month just to Filipinos abroad looking for a taste of home!
Mmmmm. dried mangoes, they definitely top the list when it comes to dried fruits, i chop them up and add them to vanilla ice cream for a chewy concotion. I am more particular to the 7R brand or is it 7D? something like that (basta that brand also produces the mangorind-i think it mango puree with tamarind), this brand is more fleshy and has less fiber.
September 23rd, 2005Marketman, the more popular brands (7D, R&M, and Profoods)are really made in Cebu :)
According to one of the processors, their dried mangoes are being sold all over the world but i dont think they have been featured in Gourmet or Saveur ;)
September 23rd, 2005The 7D brand has reached the shores of Malaysia through its stalls in a couple of malls in KL. If they are already pricey back home, you can imagine how much pricier they are here.
Like many people already know, Philippine mangoes are still the best-tasting, so when I have to use dried ones for baking, I still look for the ones that come from the Phils.
September 23rd, 2005Have you tried the dried green mangoes, Jojo brand. Tastes good too!
September 23rd, 2005Maricel, haven’t tried the dried green mangoes. Where are they available?
September 23rd, 2005We used to (and still do) lug cartons of dried mangoes to business trips abroad. It’s the one token gift that you cant go wrong with…no matter who you give them to. ;o)
September 24th, 2005Ive been eating dried mangoes since a was a child. I remember getting excited whenever my parents bring home boxes of dried mangoes from Cebu. I can eat this all week long and not get sick of it. Maricel, i will try to look for that dried green mangoes. Na-curious tuloy ako. :)
September 24th, 20057D is also sold in some grocery stores (Coles) around Sydney for something like A$2.00 to A$3.00. That’s not too bad a price.
September 24th, 2005I usually find the dried green mangoes in the Hua San Wan (makers of Fat and Thin brand food stuff) store in Divisoria. I also occasionally find it at SM Supermarket. It comes in an orange packet.
September 25th, 2005This is also good in a Moroccan tagine. The sweetness complements the spices in the dish. There seems to be a dried mango “syndicate” operating in Manila the last time I went home. Young people leaving cards on your table while you’re in a restaurant telling you they’re out of school youths trying to supplementing their family’s income by selling dried mangoes. Something like the “hello-i-am-deaf” cards abroad. They were name brand and not priced any more than the ones in the supermarket so it wasn’t too difficult to shell out a few bucks to help them out. I don’t know how they tasted though because they went directly to my pile of alis-bayan pasalubongs.
September 25th, 2005Hi guys ,
I know that we are all chocolate lovers here especially the ones that was prepared by our grandmother, the hot choco drink and champorado especially when its raining. Then the tinapa and rice, I really miss those times thats why I would like to introduce our new addition to our product line, Dutche Chocolate Powder/ Tablets. This all natural chocolate tablet is made from pure alkalized (Dutch process) cocoa powder. Its various uses make it very saleable especially among hotels, bars/cafes, restaurants, bakeries and households.
We also have it in Sweetened Dutche Chocolate Tablet(Tablea) so that our consumers doesn’t have to add sugar and thus saves time especially for those who are always on the go.
Dutche Chocolate Powder also comes in handy as fondue, churros dip, choco drink, pastries, cakes, brownies, champorado, icing , etc.
September 26th, 2005.
Please feel free to contact me at hulseye@gmail.com for more information.
Not long ago at the big warehouse store (Costco) near me they sold Philippine brand dried mangoes. The label said they were Guimaras mangoes (sp?) and I loved, loved, loved them. They were everything wonderful about Pinas dried mangos. Unfortunately, they stopped carrying them and started carrying Sunsweet brand. They’re still from Philippine mangoes but they aren’t as pure and fiber-free as the other ones were. Occassionally, we even get mangoes called champagne mangoes or De Manila mangoes in specialty grocery stores. They look to be the same variety you get in Manila, but they don’t taste near as good and are grown in Mexico.
September 26th, 2005I love this on salad. I get a bowl of mesclun, sprinkle slivers of dried mangoes, chopped tomatoes and a scoop of chopped chicken salad (which I make from scratch) then drizzle with Gourmet Cafe’s garlic dressing or honey mustard or my own balsamic vinaigrette (infused with garlic, sweetened a bit with honey) and there you have it — eyerollingly good and hearty salad! This is the perfect thing to garnish the greens now that the trend is on “fruity”/oriental salads.
September 26th, 2005Hulsey, I don’t normally encourage product sales pitches on this site so I have removed your duplicate/identical comment from the Vargas Cake post and have edited it slightly on this post. I only feature products that I have tried myself and have found in the course of my market wanderings. Thanks.
September 26th, 2005On a trip to Cebu last April I went to the RM factory and outlet in Guadalupe at 1 pm prior to a 2pm court date. I was told by the guard I was interrupting the factory’s siesta hour and NO ONE would sell me anything before 2pm so I sat on the porch and chatted with the guard while the staff snoozed on benches. How much progress can an economy achieve when siesta is more important than sales?
September 26th, 2005Anyway, part of the conversation was that RM purchased mangoes from Luzon and elsewhere to dry because Guadalupe mangoes were too expensive. So much for going to the factory for Cebu dried mangoes. After banging on the factory door loud enough to wake the dead a salesperson came to th the window and agreed to sell me a case at 1:55 pm therby losing five minutes of sleep. I then rushed back to court.
Now I buy dried mangoes from Costco. Actually, the best dried mangoes are from Singapore and Taipeh, at twice the cost of R&M.
Philippine dried mangoes have been available here for a while, MM. We’ve found HUGE bags at Sam’s Club. My kids love dried mangoes, so I get it for them occasionally, but I wish our manufacturers would switch to non-sulphite processes:(
September 27th, 2005Hi Marketman! The dried green mango is Jojo’s dried pickled mangoes, comes in an orange packet and is yummy, although a bit too sweet sometimes. Your best bet would be SM Cebu, i have asked various friends and relatives to buy for me and they say it could only be found in SM Cebu. Various SM supermarkets here in Manila also sell it but not regularly. The fruit stand along White Plains Ave. used to sell it but last time i checked, they didn’t have it. And oh, if you go to Amanpulo, check out their trail mix — dried mango (though it tastes like fake mangoes), pineaaple, papaya and whole cashew brittle! Yum!
September 28th, 2005Thanks Booey, the trail mix you refer to is the stuff they keep in these medium sized glass bottles with a stopper on top? Unlimited trail mix for the weary traveler vegging out on a sublime island…yes, I have partaken of this delight on the sybaritic shores of Pamalican… so much cheaper to make your own at home… heehee.
September 28th, 2005somebody once told me cebu mango is a misnomer as there are actually not much mangoes grown in cebu. the bulk of them come from guimaras and nearby islands, and sometimes as far as mindanao!
September 28th, 2005re: dried green mangoes
found the dried green mangoes (or rather dried pickled mangoes) in 2 stores in Binondo over the weekend, one in the big grocery on ongpin before the estero and the other in the smaller grocery after the estero almost directly across the president restaurant. the big grocery carries 100 gm packets for Php44 and the smaller store carries 200gms packets at Php80. thanks for letting us know about this one maricel!
stashed a few packets for my alis bayan box…i am now officially a statistic, arrived in Calgary,Canada last night (27 sept pm) to begin the rest of my life…so marketman, i guess from hereon all posts from me on manila sources will be either dated or heresay!!! needless to say that my first online foray upon waking up was marketmanila : )
September 29th, 2005Rina, my best wishes for your new life in Calgary. While it pains me to think one out of two filipinos would like to seek a life elsewhere, the conditions here are just so difficult I can completely understand the sentiment… economics is one issue, but the apparent complete lack for the rule of law, decent or ethical behavior, political immaturity, work meritocracy, I can go on forever, is rather disconcerting. Where is the hope? Not sure. Just have to keep eating. Canada hosts the fourth largest number of Marketmanila readers…truly, I wish you all the best!
September 29th, 2005marketman, thank you for the good wishes. it warms my heart to know that I am among great numbers of marketmanila readers in Canada. I am sure that now, more than ever I will be looking up recipes of homecooked favourites in the pages of marketmanila.
in my suitcase, I packed a big ziplock bag full of kaffir lime leaves from my plant back at home, next to my cat, I wish i could have brought the plant, also in my box were a few kilos of barako coffee beans, the last of my saffron stash (nobody would use it at home anyway so why pay $s for it) and a bottle of spanish pimenton for my paellas…also brought small cooking odds and ends I may have difficulty finding in calgary…and to my husband’s horror, almost my entire collection of recipe books, food books and food movies!
it is just really sad that due to issues you have mentioned above, there is such a dearth of the opportunities and the quality of life that abounds in other places…we too have been asking, where is the hope? in the meantime, we just have to look elsewhere…and eat elsewhere…I wish you the best too marketman in your advocacy of bringing to light the culinary treasures that do abound in our own backyard and beyond : )
September 29th, 2005Heehee, yep, tried making it myself (my husband and i got addicted to it!) and i think i came pretty close, even the “fake” tasting dried mango strips (bought the pale-est looking ones from the grocery). If ever you in Bacolod, check out the dried papaya and pineapple from Negros Showroom, they’re pretty close to the Amanpulo version. And you may also want to their the dried langka as an addition to your “local” trial mix, but its a bit to sweet for me. Happy weekend!
September 30th, 2005I think the brand I see and eat the most is the Philippine Brand (by Profood). They sell them in huge bags at Costco and even have sample tastings. My mother was so happy they were doing one that she gave the woman handing the samples out a lesson on Philippine mangoes. The Philippine mango is too good not to be famous.
October 4th, 2005At a huge international grocery in Ohio I found Dried Pineapple, and Dried Guyabano as well. The Guyabano was a lot better than the Pineapple.
The dried Langka sounds good too!
I have tried this new dried mangoes by Amley Food Corp., they were a lot better. It’s not too sweet nor not too dry, it’s simply perfect! It doesnt give you soar throat just like those excessively sweet dried mangoes. You guys better try it!
February 3rd, 2006how can i get your products as imports to my country?
May 11th, 2006kalambya, I don’t sell anything, just write about it, you need to contact a manufacturer of dried mangoes, try googling R&M, Philippine or Inday’s brand of dry mangoes…
May 12th, 2006I absolutely love Philippine dried mangoes…
September 17th, 2006I have fallen in love with 7D Dried Mangoes. Recently to help those who also love them we’ve opened an online store to ship them throughout North America. There actually aren’t many opportunities to buy them here so finding them on the Internet is a great way to satisfy your cravings. Check out www.sweetsweetmangos.com.
V.
October 11th, 2006i love dried mangoes, they are yummy i was buying them from VIC in one asian store but unfortunately, when we shifted to sydney, couldnt find any filipino stores…sad !!! can u tell me where can i find filipino store here in sydney???? im dying to see one………
February 21st, 2007Please refer me to a sale rep in the London, Ontario area
April 24th, 2007We would like to purchase the dried mangoes for our Gift Shop.
I tried to contact Merv Klein with no results
Thank you
Rachel King University Hospital Gift Shop
dried mangoes tastes sooooo good, Mama Sita’s Dried Mangoes is one of those tasty dried mangoes I have tried
May 22nd, 2007I know this is weird but, I usually ask people to buy the dried mango rejects. I think they’re considered rejects because of its color and size. I like it better because it’s sweeter.
June 27th, 2007heLp..
July 31st, 2007i’m a student and i want to know how the dried mangoes are process..
it’s for my project..
please..?
Do you sell the Philippine grown
August 7th, 2007dried mangos?
7D Dried Mangoes are straight from Cebu, Phillipines. They are hard to find in USA, Canada and the UK. You can though find them our site http://www.SweetSweetMangos.com. We have satisfied the cravings of many, many mango lovers.
Best Wishes!
August 17th, 2007http://www.SweetSweetMangos.com. Doesn’t work.
September 24th, 2007There’s a chain snack store in Hong Kong which sells dried mangoes. The mangoes are said to be from Japan. They tastes great. I live in Australia and everytime i go to HK i will buy two packets. recently i found this place which also sells dried mangoes online.
BUY IT ONLINE http://www.whiskandpin.com.au/shop/index.php?cPath=23&osCsid=0e3371cd93836bd54809108d669d6cba
I tasted the dried mangoes, pineapple, strawberry, banana, kiwi fruit, but still the mango one tastes the BEST!
Sorry, the address was picking up the punctuation…
http://www.SweetSweetMangos.com
Best Wishes,
Valerie
October 24th, 2007try SUNSFRU brand… 8 taste good! its a davao made product.
February 2nd, 2008JOJO’S DRIED MANGOES ROCKS!!!
they are the best!
no presevatives, all freshly made–it’s in too much demand that some stores couldn’t sell it—
and blame global warming–XD
it’s also in savemore(near cdc and cicc) for cebu people–
or downtown—
they also sell small tiny packs of dried mangoes chips!!!!!it’s handy as trail mix or snacks and when you put it in ice cream, it’s HEAVENLY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i gained pounds when my friend bought me a whole box of the little ones….it was just too good to resist–
they also sell other neat stuff
and yeah the green mangoes are awesome!!!!!
August 6th, 2008i share them with my colleagues who are so addicted to it that they bought some themselves–]
dang they’re delish–
and rare