Especially when it comes to exotic fruits such as mangoes, you probably often ask yourself where they come from and how they are processed. In our opinion, good food is also about knowing where food comes from and how it finds its way into your own pantry. To give you a better understanding of where our products come from and how our production and supply chains work, we would like to answer all your questions in this blog article. The whole process is explained using the example of our dried organic mango brooks from Burkina Faso.
Which dried mango is the best?
For us, it all starts with Tasting Tuesday. Because before we look to Burkina Faso, we first have to decide in our Berlin office which product should be included in our range. To do this, we taste our way through a variety of dried mangoes in all shapes, colors and sizes and from different origins. The taste, aroma and quality of the pulp are far more varied than you might think at first glance. As soon as the decision has been made, our first order goes out to the chosen supplier. In our case, this is an order for dried organic mango brooks from Burkina Faso. But what happens when our order arrives in Burkina Faso?
Dried mangoes straight from the field
The landscape in Burkina Faso is characterized by a tropical climate and diverse savannah landscapes. The sometimes very high average temperatures give the mangoes their unique, sweet taste. Burkina Faso translates as "the land of the honest man". This also seems to apply to the evergreen mango trees, as they can reach a height of 45 meters and their fruit can weigh up to 2 kg. Mango trees are not only an important factor in local agriculture, but also play an important role in protecting arable land from desertification. There is a seasonal abundance of mangoes in Burkina Faso. Around 18 to 25 kg of Brooks mangoes are needed for just one kilo of dried mango. Can you imagine that?
Cultivation, harvesting and drying - all this takes place in Burkina Faso in West Africa. Between March and July, the mangoes are harvested when they are not yet fully ripe, sorted and peeled and prepared for drying. During the drying process, the water is gently removed from the mangoes in an oven at 70 degrees. This drying process takes between 20 and 24 hours. But: the effort is worth it!
Mangoes are ready to harvest from around June to the end of July. The right degree of ripeness is not so easy for a layman to recognize. In the supermarket, we often reach for the red-yellowish mango to get hold of a supposedly fully ripe fruit. However, the reddish color does not necessarily mean that the fruit is ripe. The color of a ripe fruit can vary. Whether green, yellow, red or with black spots - the decisive factor is the smell of the fruit and the hardness of the flesh. The decisive factor is that the mango is soft and juicy and has a sweet aroma - then it is perfect!
Still packed and labeled in Burkina Faso
Before the mangoes make their way to Germany, they are peeled, cut into thin strips and dried on site. The mangoes are also packed airtight in our value packs and labeled. To ensure that the mango reaches your home without any detours, we use functional labels that can be printed out by the producers themselves using thermal transfer printers and can usually be attached just a few meters from the field. This means that the first packaging is also the final packaging. As a result, our fruit is particularly fresh and juicy and we do not use any unnecessary resources.
Started from Burkina Faso now they're here
But how does the journey continue? The next step is to ship the pre-packed mangoes to Germany and drive them to the KoRo warehouse in Berlin Weißensee. From here, it's just a tiny step to your home. As soon as the mangoes arrive at the warehouse, they go online in our store and are available for you. All product texts must be ready by the delivery date. You are now just one click away from delicious fruity mango strips. Berlin is just a small intermediate step. As soon as you have placed your order, the mangoes are packed in a shipping box in Berlin Weißensee and sent to your home within 1-3 days.
Dried mango - particularly popular because of its sweet taste
The extremely juicy, slightly sour and at the same time very sweet mango strips are definitely one of the most popular products in our online store. As our mangoes pass through as few supply chains as possible, you can literally taste the African sun. But that's not all: as the mangoes are grown in Burkina Faso under controlled organic conditions and packaged untreated, the dried fruit, which now has a place in your pantry, contains no additives. No refined sugar, no colorings or preservatives and no flavor enhancers - simply pure fruit enjoyment from Burkina Faso, with a small detour via Berlin, straight to your home. Pretty cool, isn't it?
The journey is over: the mangoes have made their way home. Once they arrive at your home, you can now use them in any way you like. Enjoy the taste.
