Noris Ledesma trip to Borneo and Mango Origin

Fairchild Tropical Garden Curator of Tropical Fruit, Noris Ledesma went to Borneo to research the origin of the mango. She describes her journey on my Food News and Views WLRN NPR show.  Listen to the podcast, click the on air tab.  Here is an excerpt from her blog. We arrive in an indigenous village and I immediately take note of the many pajang (Mangifera pajang) trees in the back yard of the traditional long house. In this long house about 20 families share the same roof. The village was almost empty. An old man covered with tattoos, his ear lobes elongated as was the custom of times past, spoke to me in his native tongue. The translator tells me that it’s the rice season, and the younger and able-bodied are busy with the harvest. I ask for the children and he explains that they go on Monday to school and come back home during the weekend. It is too far and just the little ones stay home.

http://www.fairchildgarden.org/LivingCollections/TropicalFruitProgram/Blog/id/571