Mango

Mangoes grow on tall shade-giving Mangifera indica trees in the tropics and subtropics, and they ripen in hot season, just before the rains. Green mango, small and firm-fleshed, is often called raw mango in English-language usage in the Subcontinent. In most cases, it is, in fact, unripe fruit, although there are also varieties of tart green mangoes that are hard to get in North America. Some green mangoes are very sour, some just tart and unripe tasting. Green mango has a crisper texture than ripe mango and is an ingredient in savory dishes, sometimes as a tart flavoring (see Toovar Dal with Green Mango), sometimes as the main ingredient (see Gujarati Mango Chutney, and Tart Mango Salsa). Tart green mangoes are also dried and ground to a powder to make the souring agent called amchur. But to most people, the word mango conjures up ripe, juicy orange-yellow fruits, small or large. The best sweet mangoes have no fibers, just juicy sweet flesh, with a flat large oval pit. To eat a mango, you must cut the flesh from the pit. We usually peel first, then cut away the flesh; others peel after they’ve halved the mango. Suit yourself. To cut the flesh off the pit, set the fruit on one of its narrow sides and cut through it lengthwise just off the center line, running the knife edge down against the surface of the pit. Repeat on the other side, then trim off the edges. See “Mango Tales”.