So happy for you! Mangoes are one of my favorite fruits.
It's never to late to try new to you foods.
(should I call you Ilana now?)

Ohhh welcome to the wonderful world of Mangos! They are one of my favs too.... if you are feeling really adventurous, I have a Mango Salsa with corn and black beans that is fantastic.... let me know if you want me to post it.

Alexa

Mango tastes like....well....mango!!
A perfectly ripe mango is heaven...one picked and allowed to gto stringy is awful
Some years back when I cruised the Indian Ocean, the Phillino waiters/cooks....would flip flip with a knife and have half a wonderful mango all sectioned and ready to scoop off the rind and eat....
Heaven....and no mango has tasted anything like those since!

Mango to me tastes a bit like peach - at least the mango juice does - perhaps with a bit of orange flavor. I generally eat them with a bit of lime juice, the way they were served to me in Mexcio. I had a Manilla mango tree in Venice, and I got excellent mangoes for it - they were extremely sweet and juicy and never bruised. Manilla mangoes tend to be yellow to orange yellow when ripe - the red ones are a different variety.

Personally, I love a lot of exotic fruits, including guanabana (especially the juice), mamey, zapote, lychee, etc. Mamey has a flavor similar to a very sweet strawberry but has the texture of a canteloupe. Guanabana and lychee are somewhat similar. While I love these fruits, I don't like them in any savory or meat dishes - I'm not adventurous that way. I've tried them that way, but I just don't like it.

Lars

Mangos are my favorite fruit! CostCo sells 2 different kinds of Mangos. I just did a Google, and I think the one I prefer is called "Ataulfo" which I think hails from Mexico. From the web site: More compact compared to other varieties, it has a kidney-shaped form, with a skin that turns from green to a deep golden yellow when fully ripe. The inside is velvety smooth, with almost no fibrous texture, unlike other varieties, and a much thinner pit (about the thickness of a wafer). The taste is intensely sweet and full.

That is an accurate description. Here is a picture of one

{{gwi:1508503}}

I also like mangoes, although I find them kind of a pain to pit and eat. I made the mango dal again last week and I really like it.

Lars, Ashley also likes guanabana and rambutan, she's lobbying for me to find some fresh. I did find the guanabana in Toronto at a market in Chinatown, now I'm looking for the rambutan!

Although I tend to be adventurous in trying new foods, I'm pretty picky about what I like. I'm not a huge fan of most fruits, but I do like mango.

Annie

Mango salsa is one of my favorite ways to enjoy mangoes. Sometimes here the stores will have lots of mangoes on sale and the Indian folks come out in droves to buy them.

I can't think of mangoes without remembering a good friend: she is highly allergic to mangoes, almost died one time when she accidentally ate a little. She can't even be near a mango tree, let alone the fruit. When she lived in Florida, they had to cut down a mango tree and have someone dig up the stump and roots before she could move into the house with her husband and children.

I love mango anything! To me their flavor comes closer to peach than any other fruit I'm familar with. I've read many times that you can sub mangoes for fresh peaches in recipes. I sure wish they grew around here, I'd have a mango tree in a heartbeat.

Nancy

Now that you have had a mango, try a papaya but be sure to squirt a bit of lime on it. Another slice of heaven.

You are never to old to learn.

Annie, you mean you don't have a mango pitter/slicer?? Works nicely.

We had mango trees when I was a kid and mom was allergic to them; she could eat them but couldn't touch them. I peeled a lot of them for her.

During mango season, I make mango smoothies for breakfast with neighborhood mangoes: Mango yogurt, mango nectar ice cubes, fresh mangoes, and mango nectar.

HeY!!! Good for you!! Mango is wonderful and so good for you!
For a more exotic taste, try squirting with some lime and a sprinkling of salt.

I have the wrong kind of mangoes for the OXO mango splitter. The pit is always too big for the splitter??!!

I love mangoes! I had one today and had to share it with my drooling dogs. They come running for fresh fruit.

Jo

Good for you! I love freshly picked, tree-ripened mangoes. Growing up in Hawaii, I used to get up early in the morning to climb the mango trees in our backyard. I would pick a couple of ripe ones for breakfast then a couple of green ones for pickles.

I miss all sorts of fruits: mango, papaya, guava, passion fruit, & coconut... they are considered exotic here in Canada. Maybe it's a good thing that my family doesn't like any of these because exotic fruits are very expensive. If they liked tropical fruits as much as I do and ate like me we would be broke just by eating breakfast! :-)

Al

No, Cathy, I don't have a mango pitter, LOL. You know how I feel about gadgets that take up space, and I only eat mangoes about three or four times a year, so I deal with it.

Mangoes usually aren't all that good here in Michigan, so I buy them when they are cheap and plentiful and only hope that it's "mango season" so they'll taste good!

Annie

Alexa,
I would love to have your mango salsa recipe.
Nancy

Al, I also grew passion fruit, papaya, and guava in Venice, but I couldn't get coconut to grow because I had the wrong type of soil. I wasn't that crazy about papaya and guava, but I did love the juice I got from the passion fruit. I generally would make a sorbet out of it, and it was incredibly fragrant. Unfortunately, the vine created a lot of problems for my allergies, due to decaying leaves, and it also attracted very bold possums, as did the papaya tree. In order to get rid of the possums, I got rid of the passion vine and the papaya tree and planted something else. The passion vine was a lot of upkeep because it grew extremely fast and the dead leaves had to be removed. I still love the flowers.

Lars

Mudlady - here you go! I love the first one with tortilla chips, grilled chicken and grilled fish.

Mango Black Bean Salsa
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 (15 ounce) can black beans,
rinsed and drained
1 (7 ounce) can whole kernel
corn with peppers(Mexican), drained
1 medium mango, peeled,
seeded and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice (add a bit a of sugar if you want)
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne

Directions
1 In medium bowl, combine all ingredients. Serve with
baked tortilla chips, if desired.

*********************************************************

I've used both the previous salsa recipe and this one to make this grilled shrimp and both are very good....

Grilled Brined Shrimp with Mango Salsa

 PREP TIME: 30 min.
 COOK TIME: 5 min.
 SERVES: 4
1. 1 medium mango, diced
2. 2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
3. 1 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeno
4. 2 teaspoons finely chopped peeled ginger
5. 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6. 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
7. 1/3 cup kosher salt
8. 1/3 cup brown sugar
9. 1 quart cold water

10. 1 1/4 pounds jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
11. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
12. 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro, plus cilantro sprigs for garnish
13. 1 teaspoon honey
14. 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
15. 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
16. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
17. 2 tablespoons dry white wine
    S 1. Combine the mango, red onion, jalapeno, ginger, lime juice and 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 days. Season to taste with salt.
    2. Stir the salt and brown sugar into water until dissolved. Add the shrimp and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    3. In a medium bowl, whisk the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil with the chopped cilantro, honey, garlic, parsley, red pepper flakes and wine and set aside.
    4. Remove the shrimp from the brine and rinse thoroughly, then pat dry. Toss the shrimp with the marinade. Transfer the shrimp and marinade to a resealable plastic bag and marinate for at least 20 minutes or up to 45 minutes in the refrigerator.
    5. Preheat the broiler or a grill. Cook the shrimp until just cooked through, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Arrange the shrimp on plates and top with the mango salsa and cilantro sprigs. Serve warm or at room temperature.
    Yield: 4 servings

Wow Lars, I didn't know papaya and passion fruit attracted possums. For some reasons possums were rare in Hawaii back then.

You're right about the vines of passion fruit; they could get out of control. Parents never cared about them. But the vines grew wild on the hillsides so us kids just went to the hills when we wanted to squeezed a few till pop, just for fun. I didn't like the taste of the sour slimy seeds that much; now I miss it simply because we don't see them here. :-)

Papaya... I LOVE papaya. Cut a small papaya in halves, squeeze a bit of lime or lemon juice over it. Give me a spoon then I am in heaven! I used to eat half a papaya at each meal, what luxury!

Coconut was the most fun. We never had to plan coconut trees because they grew on their own and they're every where! We played or worked outside under the hot summer sun. Got tired and went to sit under a coconut tree. Picked out the biggest coconut for juice, got out a machete to chop off 1/3 from the top and drink away. Kids used to sit under a coconut tree to wait for the mature coconuts to fall. You know a coconut has 3 "eyes" and it never falls when someone sits under the tree? That's what we were told when we're kids anyway! :-) And oh, we always had fun watching someone from the mainland trying to crack open a mature coconut. Very entertaining! LOL

How I miss those Good ol' Days!

Al

Watching me try to slice the mango could have been entertaining. I expected seeds or a "normal" pit and I tried to slice it in half. My huge knife came to an abrupt halt. I ended up peeling it with a vegetable peeler and then using a paring knife to hack off pieces of edible fruit. When I finally exposed the "clam" in the middle I was amazed. I expected, because it is a tropical fruit, that it would have a soft, squishy center. A friend I told about the mango has decided that we and a third friend need to meet soon for a scrabble and mango party. I was surprised to read that mangos aren't terribly high in calories.

Many years ago I did an internship on Kauai, and ate a lot of Mangos, they were so delicious. Then I developed a terrible rash and found out Mangos are in the Poison Ivy family and lots of people are alergic to them, including me! I still miss the taste of a dead ripe Mango on a hot Hawiian afternoon!

Steve

simply orange juice which i really love
now has an orange-mango one
and it is delicious

The best mangoes in the world are the Australian Bowen mangoes, which have a yellow skin. I don't particularly like the red-skinned ones.

I eat lots of them in summer - just peeled, and fresh. I never add them to a fruit salad - the flavour tends to dominate. A few strips in with a squid and green salad is very yum, however.

Although every second back yard here has a pawpaw (papaya) tree in it, I can't stand the things. I find the smell very off-putting, too.

Funny, as much as I love fresh mangoes, I really don't like it in fruit drinks. I reckon it makes orange juice taste 'off'.

Mangostein (or mangosteen) is not a Jewish mango. It has nothing to do with mango. It is also a very delicious tropical fruit.

dcarch

Yay for you for trying something new! Make sure you read a blurb on how to cut one up if you buy a fresh one from the market they"re slippery little suckers!

There are few things nicer than a wonderful ripe mango.

DS is absolutely mad for them. In the summer we seem to get nicer quality ataulfos for a better price, and we buy them by the case then.

Lars and Nancy find mango flavor a bit similar to peach. I do too. I'm surprised there have been so few mentions of that. I like Mango Madness Snapple and other mango juice drinks.

Mango on a stick is a popular street food in Mexico. A small yellow mango is peeled, impaled on a stick for a handle and slashed as you would do to make a radish rose. It is sprinkled with salt and powdered chile de arbol. A few drops of lime juice too, IIRC.

Jim

Here is a link that might be useful: Mango on a Stick

Lars, I'm not sure if you have Publix where you are, but if you get the chance, try their Peach Mango Sherbert. I stumbled on it by accident and its wonderful! Some cartons have been better than others but that's Publix lack of consistency in all of their brand products.

Beth

My local Asian market sells regular mangoes and Haitian mangoes. Haitian mangoes are small, dense and yellowish-green on the outside and fabulous on the inside. I love sticky rice and mango. My favorite Thai restaurant serves the rice topped with coconut cream, drizzled with mango puree and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds and slices of fresh mango on the side. It's delicious.

My friend called off the mango party because Syracuse is playing some spot or another when we had planned to meet. I would much rather eat than watch a team sport!!!!! The mangos available at Wegman's are from Peru, are green turning to red, and called Pepita. If I buy some that are quite hard how long will they take to ripen on my counter?
Nancy

I also love mangoes. Here is my own recipe for mango salsa:

Mango Salsa

2 small ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
2 tangelos, peeled, seeded, and diced (oranges or tangerines are good too)
3 tablespoons red onion, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder (or cayenne)

Mix all ingredients together. Serve over grilled or broiled salmon or chicken. We also eat it with corn chips.

Beth, Lars doesn't have a Publix but I do and I will give the Peach Mango Sherbet a try. It's the Publix brand? Thanks.

Mango is fruit of the gods! When in season I eat it for breakfast lunch and dinner. I make sorbet, pickle and jam with them. Never say never when it comes to exotic fruits, you don't know what you are missing.

Here is a link that might be useful: my rustic bajan garden

Mustangs, it is the Publix brand. It's peach and mango passion, something like that. Hope you enjoy it!

Beth

Just opened this thread for the first time, and am now wanting some.... mango.

I like juice mixes with mango in them, I've had - and loved - mango salsa, but I'm not sure that I've ever bought it as a whole fruit.

So, any buying tips on how to pick a good one?

Nevermind...coincidentally I just saw a section on mangoes in Everyday Food and got my answer.

Another here who loves tropical fruits. DH & I will share a papaya & call it breakfast. I love them so much they never make their way into "recipes". I just eat them. Mango usually find it's way into salsa.

I planted a passion fruit vine a few years back thinking it would be wonderful to have the fruit but not really believing it would survive our winters. It was so aggressive we had to dig it out in year three & should have done it much sooner. The roots had traveled 20' & we had about 30 new vine shoots above ground. Leaves were the least of the problems. Invassive as heck. One shoot came up behind the lilac & was intertwined in the house siding. Not good. Flowers are beautiful though. We're a Zone 7. I can't imagine how aggressive passiflora must be in CA, Lars!

I think kiwi is about the only fruit I don't particularily care for. I don't dislike kiwi; it's just not a favorite when compared to things like passion fruit, papaya, or mango.

/tricia

I am pretty good in picking all kinds of fruits; however, you can never tell for sure. With fruit prices so high nowadays you don't want to waste your money.

This is what I do:

I buy just one, after paying for it, I cut out a small piece to taste. If its good, I go back a buy a whole bunch.

I call this the Ronald Regan method: Trust, but verify. :-)

dcarch

Here is one of my favorite recipes for mango (except I do chicken, and I just wave the jalapeno over the pan, LOL).

Pork Chops with Mango-Basil Sauce Bon Appétit : June 1997

Try the sauce with grilled fish or chicken, too.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Yield: Makes 4 Servings

1 small mango, peeled, pitted

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 jalapeño chili, seeded, minced
1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
3/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce

4 6- to 8-ounce center-cut pork chops (about 1 inch thick)

Puree mango in processor. Set aside 1/2 cup puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use).

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeño, then basil; sauté just until basil wilts, about 1 minute. Add broth, brown sugar and soy sauce. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cup mango puree. Simmer until sauce thickens and coats spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare barbecue or preheat broiler. Brush pork with 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill or broil pork until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates.

Rewarm sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over pork.

Nancy, a mango is hard to beat, isn't it. Growing up in Cuba, we had a prolific mango tree (not ours :) in our backyard. And our neighbors gave us the green light to help ourselves to the surplus.
We loved it out of hand, in batidos (milkshakes), in salads, etc.

Annie, if Ashley is looking for Guanábanas, I know Meijers and Horrock's were carrying them recently. I'll check them out again this weekend, and if they still have them, I'll send you some.
I can't guarantee they'll be as good as the Guanábanas I had growing up on the island. But we'll see.

Sol

Wow, the manjo salsa recipes look great. I used to make one to serve over swordfish, but I haven't made it in ages. Definitely cutting and pasting here.

Ha ha Mustangs, suuuurrrrre your mother had a mango allergy. I'm going to have try that one - I'm allergic to sandwiches unless they are made for me now go get me a sandwich. Sorry, I'm sure it's legit but it was the first thing that came to mind and made me laugh.
A mango is really good the first time you taste one, especially as an adult I find just because you remember it that much more. I was twenty or so when I first tried one and remember it clearly (which is almost 20 yrs ago, ouch, I hate age reminders, time is going tooo quickly).