by Gayna Uransky

The mango. A magnificent, juicy, drippy, somewhat messy experience — somewhat akin to visiting a tropical resort like Zihuatanejo. Just as a first visit can be enriched by knowledge gleaned previous to going – so the eating of one’s first mango can be enhanced by knowing a bit before the first delectable bite.

Choosing the mango in the market is the beginning. In Zihuatanejo there seem to be “manila,” “atolfo,” which cost a bit more, and the rounder “petacon.” The manila and atolfo are narrow, yellow to orange and prevalent in February and March. The locals prefer the atolfo, which are sweeter, cost a bit more, and are a bit more stringy. The rounder and redder petacon is much stringier. (Think of your teeth and how handy dental floss can be.) You could even buy one of each to do your own texture and taste preference test.

So now you have a mango. Wash it. It is always a good idea to soak everything, even fruits you peel, in a bactericide — available in the market and in the local pharmacies.

Now you’re ready for cutting it. A mango-savy Haitian taught me her “secret.” It seems to be the way everyone who knows about mangos cuts them. Soon you will too. Guess it’s no secret.

Look carefully at the fruit. Notice the stem end and the smooth tip. Turning it around will reveal a wide side-view and a narrow end-view. The large flat seed in the center is nearly as long as the mango itself. Place one wide flat side in the palm of your hand, while slicing off the other flat side from the smooth tip toward the stem end. If you hold it incorrectly the knife will hit the seed and you will only be able to slice about a centimeter.

Now do the same on the other side. You will now have two seedless sections and one mid-section with the seed in it. Deftly peel the skin off the seed. Slice as many small pieces of mango off the seed, stem end toward tip, as your patience will allow. Then take each of the side sections and score -cut straight down into the mango towards the peel without going thru it- each side with a criss-cross pattern, leaving squares about 2-3 centimeters.

Now comes the fun part. Take one of the criss-cross sides and turn it inside-out. Voila! Many little squares all popping out from the dome of the reversed mango peel. Now prepare for a scrumptious tropical treat. You can slice the squares off the outer peel — OR — you can eat them directly from the peel and allow the bright yellow juices to run down your arms. Welcome to the tropical mango! Time for a dip in the ocean?

April 2002

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