Kemang: The Wild Mango

Kemang (*Mangifera caesia*, also called binjai or wani in different regions) is one of approximately 69 wild mango species found in the Indonesian archipelago — a reminder that the commercial mango (*Mangifera indica*) represents a tiny fraction of the genetic and flavour diversity of the genus that originated in this region. Kemang produces large, pale green to yellow fruits with white flesh and a flavour profile strikingly different from commercial mango: more sour, more aromatic, with a note that has been described as mango-rose-lychee, the fat aromatic compounds different from the more familiar tropical-sweet profile. Cultivated in home gardens in Java and Sumatra, sold in wet markets, but rarely exported — its short shelf life and irregular production make it invisible in global commerce despite its quality.

Kemang — Mangifera caesia, The Forgotten Wild Mango

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