Blackberries, cherries, melons and plums -- that’s what midsummer produce dreams are made of. I, for one, can’t wait for those glory days at my neighborhood farm market, when the air is heavy with the perfume of locally-grown summer fruit.

That being said, I must confess: My one true love at the fruit stand -- the mango -- isn’t local at all. It’s more of a global jet-setter with a well-worn passport, flown in from tropical hot spots around the world.

Unless you live in Florida or Hawaii, domestic mangos are practically unheard of, which means mango lovers must rely on seasonal imports or fly straight to the source (never a bad idea, in my opinion) to get their fix of edible sunshine. Mexican Ataulfo (aka Champagne) mangos arrived stateside in late March and will be in stores until early summer. The Tommy Atkins variety from south Florida will appear in May through the summer, and if you’re lucky, you’ll see mangos from Haiti until September. (And please let me know if you spot any Indian mangos where you live!)

India is the birthplace of the mango, (aka Mangeferi indica) where it’s considered the “king of all fruits.” Last year, the acclaimed Alphonso mango was finally allowed entry into the U.S., causing a level of excitement and anticipation that only the mango could generate.

What is it about the mango exactly that stirs people into a joyous frenzy? Here’s why I think so:

1. Nutritionally, she’s a rock star. Her orange flesh is rich in cancer-fighting antioxidants, including beta-carotene and Vitamin C, and she’s a potassium champ, which explains why I always feel like a million bucks after a mango snack.

2. She purees beautifully in the blender, which means daiquiris and mango-ritas all around at the bar! She also figures into one of the tastiest non-alcoholic sippers --a sweet mango lassi, made with yogurt.

3. In India, the mango is the symbol of love and fertility, which helps to understand why she makes great date food. Simply cut a mango in two like so: Hold mango upright, stem end up. Feel pit in center. Place knife to left of pit, slicing the length of the fruit, from top to bottom. Repeat on right side. Now you have two separate mango "cheeks"  ready for sharing. It may be one of the juiciest, drippiest and messiest dates you’ll ever have, but that’s why bath tubs were invented.

4. She’s Mother Nature’s official antidote to the heat and humidity; in Jamaica, mango season is referred to as “turn down the pots,” which means there’s no need to cook. Listen to this audio clip (RealPlayer file) from “Mango Time,” a 1950s Jamaican calypso tune performed by mento/folk song artist Count Lasher.

Mango time, mango time
Yes the temperature getting hot
Mango time, mango time
And poor people turn down dem pot
In every cranny, in every nook
The people dem done with shop
Because they don't have to cook
Because mango arrive and drop

5. In the kitchen, she’s versatile and plays well with others; according to Miami-based chef Allen Susser, who wrote “The Great Mango Book,"  the mango “can absorb spice, heat and fire with no loss of character, yet can be icy and refreshing in a sorbet.” She’s a lovely companion for seafood – shrimp, crab cakes, lobster -- and can shimmy nicely up against a grilled piece of halibut. I love her with black beans and grilled chicken thighs (what a magnificent trio) and it makes one helluva summery salsa (diced cucumber and/or ½ red bell pepper, a small handful of chopped fresh cilantro, ½ small red onion, diced, squeeze of a lime or 1-2 teaspoons of rice vinegar). Still hungry? Check out some of Susser’s mango-centric recipes).

6. And last but not least, the mango makes you smile. I’ve long held the belief that the mango holds magical powers of the world-peace variety. Because when a mango is in the palm of our hands, it soothes our souls, it cools us down and it forces us, in the sneakiest, messiest, slurpiest way, to stop, smell, taste and savor -- and drop everything for a mango moment. It brings us back to life.