All About: Mangoes
Mangoes are probably one of the messiest fruits you'll ever eat—but their wonderful fragrance and fantastic flavor make them well worth the effort. Though they are not as common in the U.S. as they are in tropical regions (where they are eaten in quantities as apples are here), the increasing popularity of Caribbean and Indian cuisines are putting mangoes in the spotlight.
India is the primary producer of mangoes, though most of the commercial crop found in the U.S. comes from Mexico, Central America, and Haiti. Mangoes can be found in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors; the commercial varieties found at the grocery store are usually round or oval and about the size of an avocado. Mangoes are green, and as they ripen they develop beautiful shades of gold, red, or orange. Size is not the best indicator of flavor and quality; color (some development of red or orange patches, which increase as the fruit ripens) and feel (a ripe mango will give under slight pressure) are more reliable signs of ripeness. Some black dots are OK—these are normal as fruit ripens—though excessive spotting may indicate damage.
Unripe mangoes should be allowed to ripen at a cool room temperature; place them in a paper bag to speed up the process. Ripe mangoes will keep in the refrigerator about two or three days. You can peel a mango and eat it like a peach—though be ready for the river of juice that will run down your chin! Mangoes are wonderful in cubes or slices on their own; they mix beautifully with other fruits for a compote or salad. Toss cubed mango, a banana, vanilla yogurt, and a few ice cubes in the blender for a delicious, nutritious, low-fat snack or breakfast.
Mangoes are good sources of vitamin C and excellent sources of vitamin A; in fact, a single mango contains the entire recommended daily allowance of vitamin C.
Follow these easy steps to prepare a mango:
- Starting at the narrow end, cut the mango in half along the pit. Cut each half away from the pit.
- Place each half skin-side down on a cutting surface. Make a series of crosshatch cuts (like tic-tac-toe) in each half. (Be sure not to cut through the skin.)
- Pop out the mango flesh by turning the skin of each half inside out. (You may need a spoon to help scrape the flesh away from the skin.)