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Mango Madness

by Karen Walrond (RSS feed) on May 10th 2006 at 2:00PM

Ah, the noble mango! I have to admit that mangoes are absolutely, by far, my most favourite of all favourite fruits ever. It might be partly nostalgic -- the memories of growing up in the tropics, eating mangoes with my friends, juice running down my arms -- but it's also because it is one of the sweetest, most amazing fruits I know. And mango juice? Nectar of the gods.

And if you think that perhaps my fixation on mangoes is a bit nuts, check out this article in the New York Times: it's mango season in India, and everyone is taken with this succulent fruit. Why, even President Bush himself has lifted a ban on importing Indian mangoes into the United States, as part of a recent deal struck with allowing for easier access by India to nuclear technology. "The U.S. is looking forward to eating Indian mangoes," he said at a recent press conference in reference to the deal...

...aaaaanyway...

...the article is a delightful read, and in addition to describing the mango culture that surrounds this particular season, a very detailed account on how to properly eat a mango is included -- and I have to say that the author has it spot on.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, Learning, Food and Drink, Asia, India

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Willy May 10th 2006 2:25PM

Eating too many mangoes gave some of my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers an allergic reaction: their necks got terribly, violently red.

Many of the mangoes in central Africa -- called chicken mangoes, because they're big as a chicken -- are stringy, so I wasn't thrilled with them. They flesh got caught in my teeth. However, I made some bitchin' jam out of the fresh mangoes and slapped them on the bread I bought. Yum.

Personally: my vote is for the humble paw-paw, the best fruit ever.

jmchez May 10th 2006 3:02PM

It's bad enough that Indian information workers are taking jobs away from deserving Americans. Now we are going to see Caribbean mango growers go out of business? I demand a a ban on Indian mangoes. :)

For the record, I grew up eating Dominican mangoes.

Mollie Foti May 11th 2006 12:09PM

The key word here is "culture." Food helps us transcend racial and geopolitical prejudices and relate on a very human level. In eating a mango, we're opening up just a bit to another country and culture. Things start to become less strange. The "other" begins to mean "fun" or "delicious" Of course, that's a heavy load for the humble, albeit delicious, mango. ;-)

(Practical note: Mangos also make excellent margaritas)