A quick Google search of “mangos recipes” illustrates the point for Charlie Eagle, vice president of business development for Southern Specialties Inc. He ticks of the various entries — mango salsa, mango avocado salad, chipotle mango, frozen mango margarita — and declares that mangos are becoming mainstream, which he sees as the key to increasing consumption and sales.

“The key to increasing mango sales as a whole is, number one, you have to have them on the shelf, and secondly people have to be familiar with the product,” Eagle said.

His Google exercise proved they are becoming mainstream and more than just ethnic customers are buying them and using them. The list of recipes shows that mangos have been added to the shopping list of many different consumers. “You are seeing recipes that are across the board. Those recipes are for gringos,” he quipped.

He argues that building bigger displays and exposing more people to the fruit will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. The bigger displays will attract more buyers and sales will increase. He said that has already happened across the countries with retailers all over the place devoting more space to what is often called the world’s most popular fruit. In fact, he said it has become increasingly difficult for any retailer to ignore mangos. “I live in Georgia and even in the rural areas you see stores going through a lot of mangos.”

He said this is a function of both Anglos being familiar with the fruit and the growing population of Hispanics throughout the country, including in Georgia’s rural areas during the summer.

For the next several months Southern Specialties is sourcing mangos from South America — first from Brazil and then moving into Ecuador. He added that the company’s growers in each country are forecasting “good plentiful crops.” Eagle said that over the next several months there will be “good supplies and good opportunities for ads.”

He added that there is expected to be an overlap between the crops from Brazil and Ecuador so the market price should be very attractive beginning no later than early October. Speaking to The Produce News in early September, Eagle said Brazil should hit its peaks in “two to three weeks.” The overlap in supplies should come in late October and continue into November.

In 2010, Southern Specialties started a joint venture with another firm, establishing HLB Specialties, with both firms headquartered in the same Pompano Beach, FL, community. “Thanks to our partnering with HLB we will work with three Brazilian exporters (this year),” Eagle said.

With its total business continuing to grow, Southern Specialties has added sales staff this year, including Rob Saake and Katie Johnston joining the firm as key account managers.