Orchard Training Homeschool Garden Club - Mangos

The tall spires of the perennials and the clusters of July's sweetpeas attracting the butterflies and active pollinators are just distracting us from doing any actual work. While we are sunning ourselves and enjoying the fruits of our labours, in the Orchard Training Homeschool Garden Club, we are focusing on tropical fruit, specifically mangos.

At the start of the year, we began discussing foods that can't be cultivated in the United Kingdom. We identified 12 such foods and plan to explore each one over the 12 months of 2025.

1.     Tea

2.     Coffee

3.     Chocolate

4.     Pineapple

5.     Mango

6.     Avocado

7.     Vanilla

8.     Banana

9.     Oranges

10.  Black pepper

11.  Cinnamon

12.  Turmeric

We will examine these topics from various curriculum angles, such as the environmental perspective—by looking into air miles, the geographical viewpoint—by tracing the original source, and a historical analysis—by uncovering what was used before this food arrived in the UK. Lastly, from a Design and Technology perspective, we'll evaluate the consequences of not buying the food or its absence: how can we replace it in recipes? We will then test some popular recipes using a substitute that we could grow in the Orchard Training Homeschool Garden.

Originating in India, the mango is a fruit that has been grown for over 5,000 years, and usually covering an average journey of 4,646 miles. As reported by The New York Times, mangoes first reached London in 1931 via 'flying boat.' This month, we will delve into the global transportation of foods and just how do mangos get to us in the UK.