So many mangoes

Americans are discovering the many varieties of a fruit the world has treasured for its heavenly taste and versatility.

By JANET K. KEELER, Times Food Editor

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 13, 2000

[Times photos: Scott Keeler] Alicia Garate, right, of Miami smells one of several varieties of Florida mangoes on display at the International Mango Festival at Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami on Saturday. “I love the smell of mango,” Garate said. “It’s the best fruit of all.”

MIAMI -- Imagine a grocery store produce section where mangoes have their own wide display space, just like apples. Imagine, too, that you might know a Graham mango as well as you do a Granny Smith apple.

The ubiquitous Tommy Atkins mangoes would sit next to the sturdy Hadens, which would nestle against the blushing Kents and the sweetly aromatic Mallikas. The golden-orange Dot and the green, oblong Nam Doc Mai would be special buys, available only for a short time and in limited supply.

You grab several fibrous Tommy Atkins to make chutney, two firm-ripe Mallikas for salsa and as many Nam Doc Mais as you can afford. Those you eat out of hand, the slightly spicy and sweet flesh the closest thing you've found to heaven on Earth.

Sound far-fetched? Maybe not when you think that in most of the world, the mango is better known than the apple. As the general population becomes more exposed to the fruit and its many variations through travel, TV cooking shows and continued movement of immigrants from warm climates, the fruit's popularity will continue to grow in the United States.

For now, though, most of us live in a two-for-$1.49 world where the fruit we buy, though it has a varietal name, is simply called "mango."

That all may change in the next decade as researchers in South Florida from the United States Department of Agriculture and the University of Florida, along with growers around the world, pinpoint good commercial varieties and learn the best ways to harvest and ship them. The no-name mango that Tampa Bay area shoppers find at grocery stores or produce stands is one of about 2,500 varieties grown worldwide. It is likely a Haden, Kent or Tommy Atkins, each developed in South Florida in the first half of the 1900s but probably imported from South America or the Caribbean.

Executive chef Michael Bennett of the Left Bank Restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale gave Sunday brunchers at the International Mango Festival a three-way blast of mango with mussels steamed in mango broth accmpaied with a spicy mango slaw and fresh mango chunks.

"They are coming," Jonathan Crane, a tropical fruit crop specialist in Miami with the University of Florida, said of the looming explosion of commercial varieties. "Mangoes are No. 4 or 5 in production in the world. Right up there with bananas and grapes. Their popularity in the U.S. has increased, and the amount of acreage (dedicated to growing mangoes) in the world has increased."

The acreage in South Florida decreased, however, after Hurricane Andrew decimated many of the orchards in 1992, and because foreign competition has made the crop less profitable, many growers did not replant. According to the New York Times, 99 percent of the mangoes in U.S. supermarkets are imported.

Some 175 varieties were on display last weekend at the eighth annual International Mango Festival at Fairchild Tropical Garden, a lush oasis in bustling Dade County. The festival turns Fairchild into ground zero for mango madness, and this year about 3,700 people tasted fruit, raced to buy a limited number of trees and attended seminars on growing and cooking. A Sunday brunch prepared by some of the area's most talked-about chefs was a celebration of the fruit and showed off the many ways it can be used: in breads, salsas, salads, sauces, desserts, drinks.

"Mango is the king of fruit," Michael Bennett, executive chef of the Left Bank in Fort Lauderdale, said.

Bennett, a former Tarpon Springs resident who got his start as a chef at the now-defunct Pawpaw Place in Pinellas County during the 1980s, was not the only one tossing around superlatives about the mango.

"If you're going to overdose on something," Bob Pellegrini, a Miami cinematographer said, "the mango is the thing."

"It may not be better than sex, but it's pretty damn close," chef Robbin Haas of Miami's Baleen said of the Mallika mango, an Indian variety.

"This is what a mango should be," Bennett said of Thailand's Nam Doc Mai. "It's everything you want in a mango . . . or a glass of wine."

It is not uncommon for mango aficionados to describe the flavors of the fruit the same way they do wine: well-rounded, buttery, earthy, woody, pumpkiny, smooth, sweet, sensuous.

This time of year in South Florida, mangoes are falling from the skies thanks to the multitude of backyard trees that grow like weeds there. The weather is so perfect for mangoes that the deeply flavored and coveted varieties from Southeast Asia, India and the Caribbean are now commonly grown by home gardeners. (Mangoes aren't consistent producers north of the mouth of Tampa Bay because of the possibility of a freeze, but some backyard trees in that region do bear fruit.)

"Only in South Florida could someone ask you "What's your favorite mango?' " Haas said.

That is true, but while South Florida is influencing the world's mango industry because of the research conducted there, it is not the birthplace of the fruit.

Most scientists agree that mangoes originated in Southeast Asia, with India being the main producer today. The subcontinent grows about 1,000 varieties, and many of the ones developed in Florida can trace their lineage to Indian mangoes, such as the Mulgoba, which was introduced to Florida in the late 1800s by the USDA.

Volunteers cut up hundreds of mangoes headed for taste testing tables at the eighth annual festival that drew 3,700 people to Miami's Fairchild Tropical Garden. More than 175 mango varieties were on display.

In traditional Indian cuisine, mangoes are pickled, used in chutneys or pureed for a yogurt-based smoothie called lassi. The salsas, which have become a popular American application, are rooted in the cuisines of the Caribbean and Latin America.

At the mango festival, Mytri Murthy of Miami quickly ran out of samples of her homemade mango marmalade, a delicious melange that lacked the bitterness often found in orange marmalade. The native of southern India grew up eating mangoes and knows why visitors to the festival pay $25 for small mango trees with names such as Cogshall, Fairchild and Julie.

"Once you've tasted the fruit, you want the tree," she said. Murthy even pickles whole baby mangoes that have fallen from the tree. In her vadu manga, she says, the pesky mango pit is so small "you don't even notice it."

(That woody stone is probably the No. 1 irritant to people new to the mango. How do you get the fruit off that big, flat pit? See box on this page on how to cut a mango.)

You don't have to be a farmer or chef to enjoy the lusty mango; you just have to be willing to experiment with it. If you like the taste, you'll have a good time trying recipes. If you don't like it, don't bother. It's not an acquired taste; if it's for you, it will punch you in the palate right away.

Like Murthy, Leila Barnes grew up eating mangoes, not in India but in Hawaii. With prolific trees in her Miami yard, Barnes has abundant fruit and is always looking for ways to use it up. She dehydrates it and makes roll-ups; she chops it for chutney and salsa.

"Think of it as a peach," she offered. "Anything you can do with a peach, you can do with a mango. Cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice go well with it." (Go easy on the cinnamon because it can overpower the mango.)

If you are cooking with mango, she said, pick out a firm, slightly under-ripe fruit. A very ripe mango will break down when heated. The mangoes we see in Tampa Bay grocery stores are perfect for chutneys and pickling because they are dense and have more fiber.

Also, don't judge a mango's ripeness by its color because not all mangoes turn bright red or yellow when ripe. Gently squeeze the fruit, and if there is some give, the mango is ready to be eaten. To ripen a mango, put it in a paper bag for a day or leave it on a counter or window sill for a few days. If you want to eat it cold, put the mango in the fridge after it has ripened. A mango will not ripen in the refrigerator.

Nutritionally, mangoes are also a good bet. They are about 140 calories each, contain almost no fat and are high in Vitamins A and C.

Chef Bennett bubbles with ideas for incorporating mangoes into cooking. "They are easy to like and easy to use," he said.

His suggestions: Add them to ice cream, bake them in a cake, puree and add to a vinaigrette or use as a sauce base, carmelize and serve over fish; shred a less-than-ripe one into a slaw. He easily could write a 101 Ways to Use Mangoes book.

Another easy and elegant idea is to freeze mango puree in ice cube trays. Drop one cube into a flute and add Champagne. A lovely drink for a brunch or baby shower.

"The best thing is to just cut it up and eat it," Bennett said.

How to tame a mango

Cutting a mango is a snap if you know this trick: score the flesh and then invert it.

Here are several ways to cut a mango to get the maximum flesh from the fruit with a minimum of frustration:

The woody, flat pit of a mango runs the length of the fruit and is 1/2- to 3/4-inch thick. There is no way to pull the flesh from the stone the way you might with a peach.

On a cutting board, place the mango on its narrower side with the stem end facing you. (This puts the pit perpendicular to the cutting surface.) With a sharp knife placed slightly off center, cut a large slice of the mango away. By cutting off-center, you should clear the stone.

Repeat on the other side. You now have two edible pieces, each slightly less than half. The center piece with the pit can be discarded or squeezed by hand for a small amount of juice.

Cradling one piece, skin side down, in your palm, score the flesh lengthwise and then widthwise but do not cut through the skin -- yours or the mango's. Push the piece inside out, and the cubes will be exposed; cut them from the skin.

After scoring, you could also use a spoon, if the mango is very soft, and scoop out the flesh. Repeat on the other piece.

If it is slices you want, score the large pieces in the desired shape and then scoop out with a spoon.

Under-ripe mango, used in pickling recipes and grated into slaws, can be peeled with a knife. Use the same technique as you would on a whole apple. After peeling, cut away two large pieces as described above and then use as desired.

One warning: Do not eat the peel, which contains toxins that could make you ill. Many people are allergic to the sap, bark and leaves of the mango and break out in a bumpy rash soon after making contact. Wash hands thoroughly after handling mangoes, especially if you are picking them from a tree.

Mango Jicama Chopped Salad

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Salad:

• 2 cups chopped peeled jicama (about 1 pound)
• 2 mangoes, pitted, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 pound Napa cabbage, sliced crosswise (about 3 cups)
• 1 head romaine (11/2 pounds), torn into bite-size pieces
• 1/2 seedless cucumber, cut into 2- by 1/4-inch sticks
• 1 cup toasted salted pumpkin seeds

To make dressing, whisk together juice, honey, vinegar and garlic. Add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

To make salad, toss together jicama, mangoes, cabbage, romaine and cucumber with dressing to taste. Serve salad sprinkled with pumpkin seeds.

Note: Dressing may be made one day ahead and chilled, covered.

Source: "Gourmet" magazine, January 2000.

Grilled Lamb Chops with Spicy Mango Sauce

• 1 mango
• 1 large shallot
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 1/2-inch-thick center-cut shoulder lamb chops (about 3/4 pound each)
• Garnish:
• Lime wedges
• Fresh cilantro sprigs

Prepare grill. Peel, pit and coarsely chop mango. Finely chop shallot. In a blender puree mango and shallot with lime juice, sugar, cayenne and salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Transfer sauce to a bowl and, if too thick, whisk in water, 1 tablespoon at a time.

Pat lamb dry and season with salt and pepper. Grill lamb on a lightly oiled rack set 5-6 inches over glowing coals about 4 minutes on each side for medium-rare. Serve chops topped with sauce and garnished with lime wedges and cilantro. Serves 2.

Source: "Gourmet" magazine, July 1999.

Scallop Brochettes with Mango-Tarragon Salsa

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
• 11/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon grated lime peel
• 2/3 cup diced peeled mango
• 1/3 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/3 cup diced sweet onion (such as Vidalia)
• 12 sea scallops

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk first 4 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Transfer 1 tablespoon dressing to small bowl and reserve. Mix mango, bell pepper and onion into remaining dressing in medium bowl; season salsa to taste with salt and pepper.

Thread scallops on 2 skewers. Brush reserved 1 tablespoon dressing over scallops; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill scallops until just opaque in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to plates. Spoon salsa alongside.

Serves 2; can be doubled.

Source: "Bon Appetit" magazine, July 1999.

Grilled Tuna and Mango Salad

• 1 large mango, pitted, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
• 3/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 6-ounce tuna steaks (about 1-inch thick)
• Vegetable oil

Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat) or preheat broiler. Brush tuna with oil. Grill or broil until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. You can also use a grill pan on your stovetop. Be careful not to overcook or the tuna will dry out and get tough. If you want it pink in the middle, cook 3 minutes or less on each side.

Divide mango salad among 4 plates. Top with tuna and serve.

Source: "Bon Appetit" magazine, October 1995.

Curried Chicken and Mango Sandwiches

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 11/2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 firm-ripe mango
• 2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 3/4 pound total)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 7-inch-long loaf soft Italian bread
• 4 small soft-leafed lettuce leaves

In a bowl stir together mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro, curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste until combined well. Peel mango and thinly slice lengthwise.

Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. In a 9-inch non-stick skillet, heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and saute chicken 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes.

Diagonally slice chicken and season with salt and pepper.

Horizontally halve bread with a serrated knife and spread cut sides with mayonnaise mixture. On one bread half stack lettuce, chicken, and mango and top with remaining bread half, gently pressing together. Cut sandwich in half. Makes 2 servings.

Source: "Gourmet" magazine, July 1998.

Mango Pancake Torte

• 2 medium mangoes
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon honey
• 3 tablespoons lime juice
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons white wine
• 3/4 cup guava jelly
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 11/4 cups low-fat milk
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup low-fat yogurt
• Chopped pecans

To make torte filling, mix lime juice with 2 tablespoons cornstarch in bowl. Peel and dice mangoes and put in small sauce pan. Add cinnamon and honey and cook over medium heat until thick. Add guava jelly to the sauce pan and stir in white wine and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixture and cook until thickened.

For pancake batter, sift together the whole wheat and white flour with the baking soda in a large bowl. Blend together the egg whites, yogurt, milk and vegetable oil. Stir into flour mixture and mix with a whisk.

Coat a 10-inch non-stick frying pan with vegetable spray. Make pancakes over medium-high heat (recipes makes 6 large cakes). Layer pancakes and filling alternately. Top with dollops of yogurt and chopped pecans.

Source: "A Guide to Mangos in Florida" by Richard J. Campbell (Fairchild Tropical Garden, 1992).

Mango Quickie Crumb Cake

• 1/3 cup butter or margarine
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 box yellow cake mix
• 1 cup mango chunks
• 1 cup milk
• Topping:
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 box yellow cake mix

Melt butter or margarine in a 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Combine half pf the box cake mix, eggs, mango chunks, almond extract and milk in mixing bowl. Stir until smooth and pour into baking pan.

Combine topping ingredients and crumble over cake batter. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes.

Source: "A Guide to Mangos in Florida" by Richard J. Campbell (Fairchild Tropical Garden, 1992).

Mango Ice Cream Pie

• 2-3 ripe mangoes
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 9-inch deep-dish graham cracker pie crust
• Strawberry or cherry for garnish (optional)

Peel and remove stones from mangoes. Cut four small wedges and reserve for topping. Chop remaining mango and puree in blender or food processor. Mango puree should equal 11/2 cups. Combine puree with lime juice and then swirl into ice cream in a bowl but do not totally incorporate.

Spoon into pie crust. Sprinkle nuts around edge of pie and place strawberry or cherry in the center with mango slices around it. Freeze until firm. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Serves 8.

Source: "A Guide to Mangos in Florida" by Richard J. Campbell (Fairchild Tropical Garden, 1992).

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