The Mango is a fruit from trees that many of us know well for its deliciously sweet flesh. Originating from the Indian subcontinent, it is now one of the most widely tropical and subtropical produced fruits, distributed globally. Even today, its production is largely throughout south and southeast Asia, as well as many frost free regions elsewhere.
Fruits start to set coming out of winter, in clusters on newer growth and maturing late spring and summer, taking up to six months to ripen. A mango is considered a drupe, a fruit with a single seed or stone which in this case can be quite large. The stone is rather flattened and round, but quite woody and may hold firmly onto the flesh.
The skin is leathery but smooth starting off green and ripening to a wonderful range of yellow, orange and red hues. It's the flesh that is prized when ripe, often quite yellow/orange and can
How to prepare
Peel off the skin to expose the flesh, and then slice off sections from around the seed. They're quite juicy and sticky so enjoy licking your fingers.
Another approach is without peeling, cut off the 'cheek' of the fruit from either side of the seed. Score some diagonal lines in a lattice pattern through the flesh but not the skin, then fold it inside out to reveal a cubed dome of flesh.
Buyer's and storage guide
A ripe mango will have that distinct aroma and be firm to the touch. The skin colour is not always the best reference for ripeness, but a good start. Ideally the skin shouldn't have any black spots but often from local markets you can find this and shouldn't impact the quality. Make sure though that any blemishes are firm.
Fruit are best stored at room temperature and will ripen rapidly, so best to consume within a couple of days (if they last that long). Be aware that a ripe mango alongside other fruit wil
Serving
- Try together in a warm salad with some chicken strips, in a gourmet sandwich with ham
- Create a tropical salad along with pineapple, oranges, bananas and some desiccated coconut
- The flesh of green fruit is used in numerous asian cuisines as well as in making mango chutneys
