Mango!

[The Forager]

Alright! So in an effort to broaden my food horizons, I've purchased a mango. I, however, don't know what to do with it... Do you just eat it? Smoothie it?

This world of exotic fruits is new to me! Help!

[DewDrop]

My kids and I love mangos. I do not recomend peeling and bitting into the mango. They have very fine strings that get stuck in your teeth the closer you get to the seed. We eat them plain or lately I have made smoothies with just parsley and mango. your mango should be slightly soft. An unripe mango's flavor reminds me of aspirin taste. The seed is the close to the length and width of the mango, but very slender. you will have two huge slices and to smaller ones.I usully cut 1/4 over from the stem and them down. You will feel the seedand just follow. Now, leave the skin on the slice, but score the meat side of the fruit (little squares), put your fingers on the skin and thumbs on the meat. Push your fingers up and thumbs down to fold it inside out - in a sense. the squares are easy to remove. I do this if the kids are going outside to play. I don't have to worry about dishes being lost and the peel goes in the compost.
Peel first and them slice too, but you may be more prone to cutting yourself since the mango is so slick.

[rawnhealthy]

Yum! I LOVE mangos!
I peel and eat them...then I floss afterwards:p Depending on the mango they can be stringy, but sometimes, especially mexican mangoes which are yellow skinned- they can be very smooth and like pudding.
I'm making myself hungry!

You can also put them in smoothies and add them to salads and salsa! Have Fun!!:D

[sport]

I eat a minimum of 2 large mangos per day. There are times of the year when they can be stringy and occasionally even unusable but at the moment they are divine.
Mostly I cut it first as close to the seed as possible and then scoop it out with a spoon from the 2 large bits. Then I peel the bit around the seed and eat that.
I needs to be soft to the touch before it is ready. The colour is not an indication. If you eat it before it is ready you will be dissapointed. If you wait you will be delighted.

[subbacultcha]

Ohh I adore mangoes. One of my favourite things to do with them is blend one with banana, pineapple juice and spinach - my current favourite green smoothie. They're also yummy on their own or in fruit salads. You can also make a wicked mango chutney by pulsing it with some lemon juice, ginger, garam massala, onion, garlic, cilanto and red pepper. The best way to cut up a mango (I find) is to slice it lengthways either side of the seed (as close as you can get without slicing the seed itself), then either peeling the halves or cutting up and cutting the skin off, and cutting any extra pulp off the seed. Enjoy!

[iamacranberry]

Peel it and eat it. Then you'll get a better idea of what recipes it might taste good in if you choose to use it that way.

[Riiiya]

oooh mangos are DIVINE!

You know, they're SO sweet to me sometimes that i make an avocado/mango salad. It's such a perfect balance of sweetness and good fats! I don't really remember how it's made- i just cut mangoes and avocados, sprinkle some seeds on top and maybe even add some greens. YUM

[GypsiAnsara]

I have seen a special "mango cutter" at the store - never used one though. I use DewDrop's method, slicing down the flat sides of the pit and then scoring the fruit in the skin before popping out. I also do that with avocado halves.
Have fun! Ripe mangoes are sooooooo good. The small yellow and orange ones tend to be softer and sweeter I find. I'm going to buy some today!

[EZ rider]

A good ripe mango is one of the best tasting foods on the planet.

[beppa66]

Make sure it's ripe, it should give a little when you squeeze it.
You can make salsa, chop it up in fruit salad, puree it and use it for topping ice cream or cheesecake, throw it in with some banana, cherries and coconut meat for a smoothie, or eat it plain. MMMM-SO-GOOD!

[EZ rider]

I have found that the best tasting mangoes give off a fragrant smell.

[timfksd]

Mangos are my favorite! In addition to all the great suggestions already....you can cut up a ripe one, add a carrot or two, a squeeze of lemon juice, a small amount of olive oil...some pepper to taste...all in the blender with some H2O.....awesome salad dressing!

[The Forager]

Thanks guys! I will be devouring this gorgeous one today. Seems like I got a perfect one - nice and red, gives a bit to the touch, smells divine!

[subbacultcha]

I read somewhere today that mangoes are the world's most popular fruit. Seriously, have you ever met anyone who doesn't like mango?

[Veganforlife]

I read somewhere today that mangoes are the world's most popular fruit. Seriously, have you ever met anyone who doesn't like mango?

I didn't before I went raw. It tasted too perfumy - now it's like biting into the Caribbean!

[The Forager]

I hated it.

[tinystrawberry]

what? you hated it?
you must've had a bad one! mangoes are the best.

[The Forager]

It was a bit bitter, yet very sweet. Made for a weird mix. That and I just didn't like the flavor very much. Hm. Or the stringy bits that got stuck in my teeth. :P

[Essensual]

It was a bit bitter, yet very sweet. Made for a weird mix. That and I just didn't like the flavor very much. Hm. Or the stringy bits that got stuck in my teeth. :P
Hmmmm...
...my Fam- is Bahamian. I was born in Miami. Mangoes are like fruity gold to me. I'm thinking maybe you had one that wasn't quite ripe. And you must remember that there are many different types of mango too, so color may not always be the best indicator of ripeness. Sweet smell helps...and it should "give" a little when pressed. The slice & score method of peeling is probably the most effective. When we young we actually ate the skin of certain types of mango. Could be kinda dangerous these days if they're not organic. So...having said all that, I encourage you not to give up on the lovely, sweet, juicy (slurp), bounty from the carribbean....and keep some floss on hand.