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It’s tough, but according to the Guinness Book of Records, the title goes to carabao mangoes – also known as manila mangoes – grown in the Philippines. Everything indicates that this Asian country has excellent conditions for the production of sweet fruits. “For vegetables, the place of production, the climate and the amounts of sun and water that the plant receives during growth influence the composition of nutrients. In Brazil, melons and grapes produced in the Northeast with irrigation are sweeter than the same fruits produced in other regions”, says biochemist Rejane Dias das Neves-Souza, from the University of Norte do Paraná (Unopar), in Londrina (PR). But let’s take it easy before we crown the mango queen of sweetness. The fact is that it is not possible to make a simple ranking to elect the sweetest fruit. In theory, the higher the percentage of sugars among the fruit’s nutrients, the sweeter it will be. But the answer is more complex. “First, because the sensation of sweetness depends not only on the concentration of sugar. Sour, bitter or salty ingredients change the perceived flavor”, says chemical engineer Sidinéa Freitas, from Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos, in Rio de Janeiro (RJ). Second, because there are several types of sugars in fruits, and some have greater sweetening power than others. Finally, because sensitivity to sweets varies from person to person. Remember that before reading the table with some of the fruits richest in sugars, right?
The total carbohydrates help with the sweetness, but the flavor depends on the other ingredients as well.
Fruit – Banana
% of sugars – 22
Fruit – Persimmon
% of sugars – 17.7
Fruit – Fig
% of sugars – 15.5
Fruit – Pear
% of sugars – 15.3
Mango fruit
% of sugars – 15
Fruit Apple
% of sugars – 14.5
Fruit – Papaya
% of sugars – 14.5