The benefits of fruit are well-known, so let's move on to some fruit tips and a guide from fruit vendors on how to select the best fruit. Learn their secrets here.
Mango:
Mango Varieties: The Egg Mango (as it's called in Fujian) has a rich fragrance and an oval shape. Its flesh is orange, about the size of a small egg, and is extremely sweet and fragrant. It's great for juicing, producing a very thick juice that can be diluted with a little light honey water. The Yao Mango is slightly inferior to the Egg Mango. It's shaped like a pig's kidney, with yellow flesh (some are pale yellow) and a very thin pit. This mango is sweet but not as fragrant as the Egg Mango. There are also Ivory and Guifei Mangos, which can be a bit astringent and sour if not fully ripe. Additionally, there is the green Green Mango, which is sweeter than the yellow varieties.
How to Select: When choosing a mango, pick one that is plump, round, and firm—not too soft, not too hard. The color should be a pure yellow, and it should have a strong fragrance that you can smell from a distance. It should be free of spots (spots indicate it's rotting from the inside). Smell it to choose one that is about 80% ripe, which will ripen in a day or two. If you're buying a mango to eat immediately, check the stem end. It should be clean and dry, without any seeping liquid, and the skin should not be shriveled, as that means it has lost its moisture.
The juice of a mango contains a component that can be irritating to the skin, so it's best to cut it into small pieces and avoid letting the juice touch your skin or lips.
Oranges, Pomelos, and Tangerines:
"Choose tall oranges, flat mandarins, and smooth-skinned tangerines." Oranges should be tall, mandarins should be flat, and tangerines should have shiny skins. When selecting tangerines, regardless of the variety, look for one with a ring in the center—it's often a "female" tangerine and tends to be sweeter. One with a dot is a "male" and is less sweet. Choose tangerines with thin, elastic skin. Early-season tangerines are juicy and sweet, while late-season ones are rougher and have more fibers. For pomelos, tangerines, and oranges, pick the heavier ones. The skin should be smooth, like a baby's skin—avoid the rough, pockmarked ones. However, in winter, the popular "sugar tangerines" have very rough skins, and the smooth-skinned ones are not good. When buying oranges, it's best to choose one with a circle at the bottom (the "bottom"). For navel oranges, choose one where the navel is indented, as they are sweeter. Pomelos and honey pomelos are generally better the firmer they are. For a similar size, the heavier one is the better one. Use your hand to feel...