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by Kate Heyhoe
Known as the queen of tropical fruits, the mango is probably the best loved tropical fruit worldwide. Buddha prized mangoes so much he was given a grove to meditate in. Indians consider it a sacred fruit.
Even the unripe (green) fruit is prized. Filipinos eat tart green mangoes sprinkled with salt or soy sauce. In Thailand, green mango slices are dipped in chile powder, sugar and salt as a snack. Grated green mango is used throughout Southeast Asia, India and Malaysia to add a tart flavor to dishes, especially in salads, relishes or as pickles.
Some describe mango as a cross between a peach and an apricot, with pineapple undertones, but mango really has its own flavor, which differs considerably among its many varieties and its stages of ripeness. Depending on who you listen to, there are between 40 and 500 species of mango. This evergreen tree, a member of the cashew family, is native to India and Malaysia, unlike the pineapple and other tropical fruits which migrated from South America to Asia. The Portuguese introduced the mango to Brazil centuries ago. Today, India produces most of the world's mangoes, but it is also grown throughout the Pacific Rim, in Mexico, Brazil, Hawaii, Florida, Israel and California.
Mango is a clingstone fruit, meaning the flesh clings to the seed and must be cut away. It's also quite juicy, so some dedicated mango-eaters recommend eating it in a bathtub.
To cut up a mango, slice off the cheeks on either side of the seed. With a small, sharp knife, score the inside of each cheek. Spoon out the scored pieces, or push the skin of the mango inwards to make the scored bits pop out, and bite them off directly. This is quite messy but effective; be sure to provide lots of napkins, or eat the fruit over a sink.
Kate Heyhoe
The Global Gourmet
Green Mangoes Preserved in Spiced Oil
Mango Chutney (Caribbean)
Stacked Tomato and Sweet Onion Salad
With Mango Vinaigrette
Kate's Global Kitchen for June, 2000:
Tropical Fruits Month continues with:
06/03/00—Pineapple Express
06/10/00—Coconut Crazy
06/17/00—Tangy Tamarind
06/24/00—Mango Madness
Current Kate's Global Kitchen
Kate's Global Kitchen Archive
This page created June 2000

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