total calypse of the heart
a mango taste test 🥭
this article was updated in february 2026 with additional mango varieties!
it’s time for another seasonal fruit taste test!
faithful readers may recall the apple taste test from earlier this year - however unlike apples, i rarely bake with mangoes
they are so precious down here in victoria i find it hard to mess with perfection, and prefer to eat them just as they are - which is ideally with my hands, sitting in the sun, then going for a swim to wash the juice off my face
all mango varieties in this test were bought locally, with the best, ripest mango selected and carried home for tasting at room temperature
we tested:
calypso
r2e2
kensington pride
maha chanok
2026 updates:
hula
pearl
keitt
honey gold
don’t want to read to the bottom? the results are here!
results
each mango was scored totally subjectively on the sweet-tart spectrum, total amount of flavour, and how much we enjoyed it overall
the winning mangoes live in the golden zone where they have tonnes of flavour and are either totally sweet and buttery, or have that sweet-tart zing
taste notes
calypso
the calypso mangoes were the smallest, with palest colour and almost no aroma
they had a firm texture “very chompable” but almost completely flavourless! these mangoes were so meh i actually went back to the markets to buy another one to confirm - still a dud
0 / 5
use for: compost
r2e2
the biggest mango with pretty blush patches and a very strong mango smell
very disappointing flavour, very muted! i think if i was fed this with my eyes closed i wouldn’t be able to tell it was mango!
2 / 5
use for: looking at in your fruit bowl
kensington pride
this mango was suuuper tender, almost buttery when you bit into it
it had a distinctly mango flavour with a little tartness
i noted it ‘tasted like mango weis bar’, which they have since confirmed as fact!
this is quintessential australian mango
4 / 5
use for: eating, pavlova, diy weis bars, mango lassis
maha chanok
this mango was a little harder to hunt down but worth the effort
it was a gorgeous sunshine yellow with a jelly-like bite and huge yield
this is a fragrant, almost floral mango with almost no tartness
absolutely delightful, tastes like childhood to me
5 / 5
use for: eating, mango sticky rice, pudding, sorbet
hula
the little hula girl! fantastic, all sweet, no acidity, almost buttery flavour and very, very juicy
similar to a maha chanok
5 / 5
pearl
this mango sat on our counter for a full week while we waited for it to ripen, which it never seemed to do!
the pearl was super firm, with a tiny pip and no fibres at all
the flavour was a little dull and flat. not quite the pearl of the bunch
1 / 5
keitt
keith! keith was delicious - great balance of sweetness and acidity, and an awesome unique flavour we couldn’t quite place
don’t be fooled by the green skin! keith was ripe and juicy and delightful
5 / 5
honey gold
i ate so many honey golds this summer, and they were always great
a really solid, reliable mango they have overtaken the KP in my heart for an everyday breakfast mango
4 / 5
results - 2026 update
tied first: hula, keitt & maha chanok
second: honey gold, kensington pride
bottom tier: r2e2, pearl & calypso
i am eagerly keeping an eye out for the first honey gold, pearl, and other fun varieties to pop up near me (2026 update: found them!)
anyone who brings me a new mango variety to taste will get their choice of baked good - this is a serious offer
til next time