I’m sure you’ve noticed it too: the tall trees in varying stages – some full of blossoms, some densely populated with young fruit and others with branches bowing with the weight of those signalling that they will soon be ready to be picked. It’s coming. It’s almost here. Mango season!
Soon, huge, fist-sized, yellow to orange flesh, fragrant, juicy, sweet mangoes, will be ready. Oh, and let’s not forget the small variety that we can cup in our hands, our fingers protecting in loving embrace.
I’ve got some decisions to make when I hold my first mango of the season – firm, ripe, and sweet smelling, cupped in the palm of my hand. How shall I have my first taste of the season? Should I roll the mango to soften the flesh, make a small bite at the opposite end of the stem and suck on it? Should I tear the skin with my teeth and bite into the flesh, the juices running down the sides of my chin? Should I make deep slices of the sides dividing the mango into three pieces, scraping the flesh with my teeth with the skin intact? Leaving the seed with its surrounding band of flesh for last? Very important decisions to be made.
I am looking forward to late, long sunny weekend afternoons with fruity, boozy mango drinks, morning breakfast and afternoon snacking of a bowl full of ripe mangoes, sometimes with a light sprinkling of flaked sea salt to dance on my tongue. Perhaps I will drizzle a few slices with Kecap Manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) with its complex, caramelised flavour. Juice-stained hands and t-shirts – I’m looking forward to those too.
A few years ago, I made sweet rice (Kheer/rice pudding) and topped it with mango sauce. This time, I am going to stir in chunks of the mango into the sauce just before serving for a textural contrast. Mango-mustard sauce over grilled seafood is a hit and some of that same sauce drizzled over a salad with a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon juice, brightens it. It makes for a pleasing sweet, salt and sour combination. Consider this – instead of adding pineapple to your pizza, add some sweet chunks of fresh mango and watch the pie disappear. You feeling me?
The one thing that I tried years ago that I did not like was a mango tart. I used a ginger nut crust, a thin layer of custard along with several layers of sliced sweet ripe mango. It was okay. My taste testers loved it, but I found it average, okay, nothing to write home about. Lol.
Like every season, there will be the usual things – mango ice cream, mango sorbet, mango drink, popsicles, salsa, salads (sweet and savoury). It will also be a good time to stock up on mango puree so that you can have it for use outside of the season. To make the puree, simply peel and remove all the flesh of the mango, puree in a blender, portion out in muffin tins, popsicle moulds or ice trays, freeze, and then store in a freezer container or zip bag. I generally do this towards the end of the season when I have had my fill of mangoes.
You know, as much as I love them, I cannot eat mangoes cooked, as in quick breads, scones, cakes, jam etc. I find it totally unappealing and can’t stand the flavour and texture. Apart from achar, sour, or fresh mango chutney, the only other way that I eat mangoes cooked is in the style of Bengali mango chaatni. This type of chaatni (which means ‘to lick’) is not a condiment and is therefore never eaten on the side with your food. It is a stand-alone dish served as one of the courses towards the end of a multi-course traditional Bengali meal. This type of chaatni is part of the syrup course and is served just before dessert acting as a palate cleanser. Though the chaatni is made with other fresh fruits such as tamarind and tomatoes, mangoes are a very popular choice.
The first time I made it, my sister and nephew were visiting. From a trip driving through the countryside of Barbados we returned home with a couple of bags full of mangoes. The chaatni was sweet, tart and spicy, just as it should be. It was the first time we had ever eaten that type of chutney and we couldn’t seem to get enough. We almost ate the entire lot, it was that good, addictively so. It also stood up to its name – chaatni, ‘to lick’. We could not stop licking our fingers and wiping our bowls clean, only to replenish them a few minutes later.
Mangoes. Life would be dull without them. What do you look forward to the most when mango season comes around?
Cynthia
cynthia@tasteslikehome.org
