Once I start seeing the signs of the jungle summer, I know that mangoes are on their way. And when mango season hits the jungle, there is no mistaking it!!
Mangoes suddenly appear everywhere. There are mangoes in stall after stall in the market …
Mangoes are sold from the backs of trucks parked all over town.
Housewives buy up cartons of them and set them up for sale on tables in every available spot …
There are mangoes of every size, shape and color, like the golden Mango de Brea, recognizable by the stickiness of its skin (you can tell from the picture). The de Brea has juice like ambrosia, but its meat is full of fibres that make it almost impossible to cut and eat. Instead, we squeeze them all over with our hands until they are really mushy inside, then wash them and cut off a tip and suck the juice out. Wow … what a refreshing snack!
Then there is the fat juicy Mango Mamey … one of the more popular local brands. These are the ones I just bought a huge bag of.
There seem to be zillions of these small Mango de Coche (Pig Mangos, since they practically grow wild everywhere and are very common) around … they are amongst the first to arrive in the marketplace and the last to finish.
And there are other mangoes that I still don’t even know the names of …
Needless to say, I am now looking for mango recipes.
We received a fresh tropical mango from Harry & David’s the other day and had it for breakfast yesterday. Out of this world. So juicy and delicious. You just can’t beat fresh fruit.
Papaya tomorrow. Can’t wait!
I am so jealous. So, so, so jealous. My grandparents used to have a giant mango tree in their backyard and I have the fondest memories of eating juicy, sweet mangoes, with juice dripping down my face, and my t-shirts all stained until my belly hurt. There is nothing like mangoes in the tropics:)