From steak to mangoes, here are some water-hogging foods

[KamaAina]

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-water-hungry-foods-20150406-story.html

With California's drought worsening, there has been a growing focus on the amount of water needed to produce certain foods.

In particular, there has been much debate recently about the growing of almonds in the Central Valley....

"Almonds are especially thirsty in the southern San Joaquin. But there's a lucrative overseas market for them so growers have been planting more and more trees. Basically, one almond requires a gallon of water to produce," wrote Times columnist George Skelton.

But almonds are far from the only thirsty foods. Others include beef, pork, lamb, chickpeas, lentils, peas, goat, mangoes and asparagus.

Mangoes? I had no idea we grew mangoes! &quot

[4139]

1. Phew! Beer way down the list

[In_The_Wind]

2. The only Mangoes I've eaten grew in Florida.

My parrots are gonna have to switch from almonds to peanuts.
Oh noes, squawk fest time will be extended.

No almonds = no kisses.

[petronius]

3. Interesting graphic: seems counter-intuitive to for peas to take so much, and

pineapple and watermelon to use so little. I guess the latter are really efficient with the water they do get, and the fruit is a larger proportion of the overall plant.

Mango seemed odd to me too: I've always pictured it as a 'jungle' fruit, but apparently it's not:

The mango is native to southern Asia, especially Burma and eastern India. It spread early on to Malaya, eastern Asia and eastern Africa. Mangos were introduced to California (Santa Barbara) in 1880.

The mango exists in two races, one from India and the other from the Philippines and Southeast Asia. The Indian race is intolerant of humidity, has flushes of bright red new growth that are subject to mildew, and bears monoembryonic fruit of high color and regular form. The Philippine race tolerates excess moisture, has pale green or red new growth and resists mildew. Its polyembryonic fruit is pale green and elongated kidney-shaped. Philippines types from Mexico have proven to be the hardiest mangos in California.

The mango must have warm, dry weather to set fruit. In southern California the best locations are in the foothills, away from immediate marine influence or in the warmest cove locations in the California Central Valley.

http://www.grownincalifornia.com/fruit-facts/mango-facts.html

[KamaAina]

4. Well, pineapple is a succulent

it does not grow on trees.