Mangos

Mangos are a favorite of mine and until recently I was unaware there were so many varieties. I have been getting some from the flea market that are from Mexico. The skin is green and much larger than the green and yellow ones at the grocery store. They have an exotic sweetness resembling a mixture of peaches, tangerines and pineapple.

I have been saving the seeds to germinate. According to the information I read on the internet, it's a very simple process and generally quite successful. They can grow into trees readily in warm, humid climates, but they also make nice house plants.


Green Mangos

 While Googling for mango information, I discovered there are thousands of varieties grown around the world, with over 1500 varieties being grown in India. The mango variety considered the best in the world, the Alphonso, comes from India. Named Alphonso, after a Portuguese military commander, it is called the King of Mangos. It has yellow and light green skin and is non-fibrous. It is very sweet with a spicy, vanilla quality. It is only available in the months of April and May. After a ban of eighteen years, it's once again being imported into the U S since President Bush signed a trade agreement in 2007.

Sliced Mango

 Eating a mango can be tricky since they are very juicy, and getting the fruit separated from the large, flat seed can be messy. There is a famous scene in a TV episode of Agatha Christie's story, The Theft of the Royal Ruby, where Poirot (David Suchet) explains and demonstrates how to pit a mango with a spoon. There are other variations where you slice off the the sides of the mango or peel it with a vegetable peeler.

My personal method is to first cut completely around the fruit along the flat edges of the seed with a very sharp knife. Then I continue cutting completely around the mango 4 more times making narrow strips that can be easily cut away from the seed and scooped from the skin to eat or store in the fridge.

Cut and Sliced Mango