Which mango to choose? While color can give you clues to varietals and ripeness it isn't the only indicator. Selecting the right mango for the job can be aided by understanding the degree of ripeness needed for your application.

When selecting a mango for culinary use the same day, enlist your senses of touch and smell.

• Squeezed lightly, but firmly, the flesh should give some, but not leave imprints from your fingers.
• Depending on the variety, a sweet, tropical and ambrosial scent can be detected from the stem end.

If you wish to enjoy the mango for later use, look for visual cues.

• Look for a tight skinned, firmer-fleshed fruit.
• Skin color may still appear dull.

There are generally two stages that mangos are eaten and used in cooking:

• Ripe
• Hard Green

Ripe mangos are harvested from the tree when their skin turns yellow to orange and blushed. Fully ripening the fruit off the tree affords even ripening and maximum flavor. As the firm flesh sweetens, the colors intensify and change. Light greens bloom into spectacular sunset yellows, blushing pinks deepen to purple and multi-colored fruit become bright bold crimson, full red blushes and bright yellows.

A reference to hard green mangos does not necessarily mean the mango has green skin. Green-skinned mangos can also be ripe and ready to eat. The hard green mangos are ones with very firm flesh and very little of the typical orange/yellow mango color in the flesh.

When selecting hard green mangos - keep in mind there are two categories each with distinctive uses:

Immature green, young fruit is picked early from the tree and usually has pale green flesh, lacking color and crisp in texture. Their sour or occasionally sweet and sour flavor can add an unexpected and interesting taste to recipes and make excellent pickles and chutneys. Not often available in the U.S. market.

The sap under the skin of immature mangos can cause a rash in people with sensitivities to poison ivy, (a species related to mangos).

Fully mature green mangos when harvested have a thick, tough inedible skin and firm flesh with less apparent fiber. With a flavor and texture similar to a crisp, green apple, green mangos can add texture to recipes and are a perfect choice for a green mango slaw.

When selecting green mangos choose unblemished, full skinned fruit with a blush, green or muted color and very firm flesh.