Three delicious ways with mangoes
When a mango is just right, it’s hands-down the best tropical fruit around, says who has yet to savour the luscious fruit in the bathtub
“It loves other tropical flavours like banana, lime and pineapple, but it’s right at home with berries, too”
They say that the best place to eat a mango is in the bath, or at the seaside — they are messy. Well, I can’t say that I’ve ever had one in the bath, but when a mango is perfectly ripe and succulent, you can see why a quick dunk in the ocean sounds like a good idea.
Getting a beautifully ripe mango can be as lucky as buying the perfect avocado, but when the deliciously juicy and sweet fruit is good, it is, in my opinion, the best tropical fruit around.
Blended into a smoothie, lassi or shake, or incorporated into a cocktail or cake, the mango works a treat in the kitchen. Of course, it loves other tropical flavours such as banana, lime and pineapple, but it’s right at home with berries, too.
Mangoes — the national fruit of India, Pakistan and the Philippines — are also eaten when they are under-ripe, often tossed with tamarind and sugar, or fish sauce and chilli, while they are just superb with the freshest fish that has been grilled over an open fire.
I love this salad, right, with chicken, mango and cashews. It’s not surprising that the flavours all work together, as the mango is actually related to the cashew nut. The noodle salad with mango and aubergines, far right, is a quick, easy and delicious lunch for vegetarians and non-veggies alike.
And as a change to the traditional strawberry Eton mess, you can’t go wrong with this mango and raspberry mess, also far right. Take away the cream and meringue, and add lashings of white rum instead, and you have a sunny evening daiquiri… now that’s a taste of paradise.