Mango Glossary | Mango Database

Explore Mango Terminology

Browse definitions and growing concepts to expand your mango knowledge.

Showing 8–11 of 11 terms

$Refractometer (generated editorial illustration)$

Refractometer

A refractometer measures how light bends through a sample and can estimate soluble solids in mango juice on a Brix scale. Clean optics, calibration, temperature compensation, and consistent sampling improve comparisons. The reading is influenced by dissolved substances other than sugars, so it is not a complete flavor analysis. A useful tasting record combines the instrument reading with ripeness, acidity, aroma, and texture rather than using one number to rank every mango or identify a cultivar.

Sensory Evaluation

Sensory evaluation is systematic assessment using human senses, including aroma, taste, texture, and appearance. For mango comparisons, sample identity, ripeness, serving conditions, and the order of tasting can affect the result. Clear notes distinguish a preference from a measurable claim about every fruit of a cultivar. Comparing several sound samples is more informative than judging an entire variety from one bruised or underripe mango, and a panel's favorite need not be the best tree for every grower's climate.

Soft Nose

Soft nose is a mango internal disorder characterized by excessive softening near the fruit's blossom end or tip, sometimes with discoloration or spongy tissue. It differs in location and appearance from ordinary uniform ripening and from decay starting at the stem end. Several factors can be involved in fruit breakdown, so an association with nutrition is not a diagnosis of one specific deficiency. Inspect cut fruit and handling history before deciding whether a crop or storage practice needs adjustment.

Spongy Tissue

Spongy tissue is an internal mango quality disorder in which part of the flesh develops an abnormal, often pale or corky texture instead of normal ripening. It may be hidden beneath a reasonably normal peel. The term describes the tissue condition and is not proof of a particular pathogen or a single cause in every cultivar. Assess maturity, temperature history, and the distribution of affected fruit, and avoid presenting extra fertilizer or an unverified spray as a guaranteed cure.