Mangoes account for approximately half of all tropical fruits produced worldwide., but many people who have never eaten a mango at home before are intimidated because they don’t know where to start.

The mango has a flat-ish oblong pit in the center of it. Your objective is to cut along the sides of the pit, separating the flesh from the pit. Once you know this, everything else is easy.

Now get out there and buy some mangoes. Oh, and if you want to know if the mango you’re looking at is a good one, smell it. If it doesn’t smell like much, it probably won’t taste like much either.

Marsya :)

p.s.

If your only mango options are the roundish, dark green and red Tommy Atkins mangoes that are available at most grocery stores year round, don’t bother. They’re tough, not very sweet, and incredibly stringy. They are the reason that many people who think they don’t like mangoes, don’t like mangoes. There are reasons for the Tommy Atkins to be popular in commerce, but superior taste isn’t one of them.

According to a Wikipedia citation from The Great Mango Book: A Guide with Recipes: “Thomas Atkins submitted the fruit to the variety committee of the Florida Mango Forum multiple times during the 1950s, which rejected it due to its unremarkable eating qualities and considerable fiber in the flesh.” They’re valued for their long shelf life and their ability to withstand shipping without bruising.

So, call around to your local Indian, Asian and Middle Eastern markets and see if they have mangoes in stock.

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How to Dice a Mango:

(This will give you nice mango cubes perfect for salsas and fruit salads.)

1        Holding the mango with one hand, stand it on its side. Envision the flat oval seed (about one half inch thick) in the center of the mango. With a sharp knife in your other hand, cut down one side of the pit. Then repeat with the other side. You should end up with three pieces – two halves, or cheeks, and a middle section that includes the pit.

Start by slicing the sides, or cheeks, off the mango

2        Take a mango half and use a knife to make lengthwise and crosswise cuts in it, but try not to cut through the peel.

3         Use your fingers to press on the mango peel and turn the now diced cheek inside out. (This makes a pretty presentation if you are serving ripe mango by itself.)  At this point you may be able to peel the segments right off of the peel with your fingers.

4        If not, you can use a small paring knife to cut away the pieces from the peel OR cut a small slit in the peel at either end of the mango half and press the mango flat on your cutting board. Then use your chef’s knife to cut the mango chunks free from the peel

5        Take the mango piece with the pit, lay it flat on the cutting board. Use a paring knife to remove the peel and then slice off and dice the ring of flesh surrounding the pit.

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How to Slice a Mango for inclusion in a dish:

(This will give you pretty easy to use slices of mango perfect for salads or using as a garnish.)

1        Holding the mango with one hand, stand it on its side. Envision the flat oval seed (about one half inch thick) in the center of the mango. With a sharp knife in your other hand, cut down one side of the pit. Then repeat with the other side. You should end up with three pieces – two halves, or cheeks, and a middle section that includes the pit.

2        Place the cheeks flat side down on the cutting board and use a paring knife to peel the cheeks (Do this after you cut them off the seed, as ripe mangoes are very slippery.)

3        Cut the cheeks into strips

4        Take the mango piece with the pit, lay it flat on the cutting board. Use a paring knife to remove the peel and then slice off and dice the ring of flesh surrounding the pit.

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How to Slice a Mango for a hand-held snack:

(This is the least elegant preparation, but it is my preferred method of preparing mangoes for a snack.)

1        Holding the mango with one hand, stand it on its side. Envision the flat oval seed (about one half inch thick) in the center of the mango. With a sharp knife in your other hand, cut down one side of the pit. Then repeat with the other side. You should end up with three pieces – two halves, or cheeks, and a middle section that includes the pit.

2        Cut the cheeks into strips

3        Take the mango piece with the pit, lay it flat on the cutting board. Use your knife to slice off the ring of flesh surrounding the pit. Put all the pieces including the pit (sucking it is the last step in eating the mango) on a plate and serve.

Eat the flesh off the peel the way you would eat an orange wedge.