The appearance of mangoes at the greengrocer heralds the promise of warmer weather.

These juicy orbs of tropical delight are available until April, so make the most of them. As you sink your teeth into the luscious orange flesh, rest assured that you will benefit from all that Mangifera indica has to offer in the form of nutrition - a good source of dietary fibre and vitamins B6, A and C - plus low levels of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium.

Eating a mango au naturel is one of life's great pleasures, but this versatile fruit of Indian origin also adds a touch of class to sweet and savoury dishes.

Use it with cos lettuce and avocado and a slightly sweet dressing of olive oil and a sticky balsamic vinegar, then top with coriander or Vietnamese mint. Terrific on a hot night.

Make a salad of mignonette lettuce (or oak), avocado and sliced mango, layer slices of marinated, barbecued chicken or prawns over it, then top with generous dollops of curry mayonnaise and lime slices. Great for a crowd.

Mango goes well with ginger, lemongrass, cucumber and diced red pepper and makes a great smoothie and salsa.

Store unripe fruit at room temperature for a few days, then once ripe it can be stored in the refrigerator for about three days, but not in a plastic bag. Mangoes freeze really well either sliced, bagged or pureed into ice cube trays.

To choose a mango, make sure it has the characteristic sweet aroma and that it gives to gentle pressure at the stem.

A handsome tree, it needs a frost-free climate and, once established, will produce a profusion of white flowers in spring. Only a small percentage of these set fruit. Varieties include Kensington Pride or Bowen, Calypso, Honeygold and Pearl.