#navbar-iframe { display: none; }

« Home | Bourke Street Bakery, Broadway » | IMBB #19: Strawberry and Raisin Oatmeal Cookies » | Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Walnut Streusel » | Pineapple coconut muffins » | Post 23... what do you see? » | Grab Your Diary, 22-30 Sept » | Pho An Restaurant, Bankstown » | Ripper Sipahh » | Fine Food Australia, 2005 » | Cabramatta Moon Festival »

Thursday, September 29, 2005

Mmmango



Today I relished every sticky mouthful of my first mango of the season.

Mangoes epitomise summer to me. Their cheerful golden colour like sunshine, their irresistable heady perfume, their inevitable stickiness of messy consumption. Summer isn't summer unless you've licked all your sticky fingers and only then noticed the mango stain on your t-shirt.

When I lived in London I couldn't understand why noone over there liked mangoes. Then I bought my first mango from Sainsburys and understood why. Air-freighted mangoes from Africa are not very sweet =)

The majority of Australian mangoes are grown in Queensland, although the first crops come from the Northern Territory (like today's) and the last ones from northern New South Wales.

Mango season is at its peak in mid-December when fruit shops abound with trays upon tray of my favourite fruit. After Christmas, supply starts to peter out rapidly.

But the mango season has only just begun and boy am I excited.

Bring on the mangoes! Life is good again!

Your mango facts for the day:
Mangoes are part of the poison ivy family.
Mango skin or sap can cause dermatitis in some people.
Paisley designs are said to be based on the shape of a mango.
17 comments - Add some comment love

posted by Helen (AugustusGloop) on 9/29/2005 09:30:00 pm


17 Comments:

  • At 9/29/2005 11:45 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    U lucky guy. In Malaysia, we dont get sun ripen mangoes. But we do have something similar which the locals called Black Gold Mango.

    Dont have the pic as i'm not sure of the species name.

     
  • At 9/30/2005 12:19 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hi AG, you are very lucky indeed! Mango season is long over here, though saying that sounds strange, since they don't actually grow mangoes anywhere near here! But I agree with you about British supermarket mangoes. By far the best place to pick them up in the UK are the numerous Indian and Pakistani shops - cheap, ripe and delicious!

     
  • At 9/30/2005 4:29 am, Blogger tara said…

    Hey AG, it's funny, I've spent the last few days revelling in the coming of fall - and now you've made me long for summer all over again. Mangoes are truly one of my favourite fruits, and the season will find my usually covered to my elbows in the sticky-sweet juice. Any particular varieties you enjoy?

     
  • At 9/30/2005 8:45 am, Blogger Kelly said…

    Yum! Now I can't wait for my first mango of the summer!

    Here's another piece of funny mango trivia... At the Brisbane fruit market they auction the season's first tray of mangoes for charity. Last year it sold for $60,000!

     
  • At 9/30/2005 10:19 am, Blogger Veruca Salt said…

    Mango madness! They remind me so much of christmas.

    Who needs a white Xmas when we have such an abundance of juicy sweet mangoes.

    Love the Kensington Pride and Bowen ones the best. The others have a weird spicy taste to them. Although, if some happens to be around ..........

     
  • At 9/30/2005 12:14 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I hope you get your fingers on Philippine mangoesfolks. Priceless morsels. Makes gluttony excusable.

    Cheers!

     
  • At 9/30/2005 1:46 pm, Blogger eat stuff said…

    LOVVVVVEEEE Mangos! I practically live on them over summer *swoon*

    Did you know that Poision ive is very similar to the Rhus tree that grows here? and it is in the same family as sumac too... crazy huh?

     
  • At 9/30/2005 7:20 pm, Blogger Helen (AugustusGloop) said…

    Hi foodcrazee - Australia is definitely the lucky country when it comes to fresh fruit, meat and seafood.

    The black gold mango sounds intriguing.

    Hi Melissa - I recall I did try a couple of Indian mangoes, but I'm used to the Kensington variety of mango which are fat, plump and very sweet. I find the longer thinners ones a little more fibrous and tart.

    But yes, mangoes were definitely at the top of the list of "foods to catch up on" when I got back. Oysters and sushi were also high on the list as well! =)

    Hi Tara - lol. I've noticed. Your apple collection looked so delicious.

    In Australia the most popular variety is the Kensington Pride / Bowen. This has an almost circular butt, as opposed to long and thin.

    If you check out the Wikipedia entry here you can see the wide variety of mangoes grown around the world. I definitely love my mangoes sweet and juicy!

    Hi Kelly - Hop to it girl! You're further north than I! =)

    We have a similar mango auction here, although I think ours only went for $25,000 this year (up from $20K last year). We must be stingier down south. lol

    Hi Veruca Salt - Absolutely. Mangoes + prawns = Christmas!

    Yup. I agree. Kensington are the best. I find the others a little too fibrous and not as juicy or sweet. R2E2 / strawberry mangoes are a little too firm for me, although their season extends a little longer so I was resorting to those by mid to late Jan this year!

    Hi Aphrodite Undercover - Not sure if we import Filipino mangoes or not, but I'll keep an eye out.

    Hi Clare Eats - I usually reach mango saturation point by the 3rd week of December, but then I remind myself that they will run out soon and I get a 2nd wind and continue the mango-fest.

    No I didn't know either of those facts. Ain't the internet wonderful?

     
  • At 10/01/2005 6:45 am, Blogger boo_licious said…

    Yeah for mangoes, I love them and we get them all year round from various places: Thailand, India and Pakistan. Can't wait to see all the dishes you will be making from them.

     
  • At 10/01/2005 7:47 pm, Blogger Reid said…

    Hi AG,

    Woo-Hoo! Sticky rice and mango...Yeah! =P

    We still have a few mangoes around here and I've been eating lots of 'em. =)

     
  • At 10/01/2005 11:55 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    that looks gooood.... but you still have GOT to taste Philippine mangoes sometime.

     
  • At 10/02/2005 8:22 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Hey..AG,
    I love mangoes too.. but i didn't know.. but i didn't know that the sap can caused dermatitis in some ppl.. ! thanks for the info..!

     
  • At 10/02/2005 11:17 am, Blogger deborah said…

    mmm yummy. In Sri Lanka mangoes are smaller, and are green on the outside - sometimes even when they are ripe. They are often served with chilli and salt on the side. Or you could make the green mago picle which always gets the mouth watering. nice mango facts :)

     
  • At 10/02/2005 7:14 pm, Blogger Helen (AugustusGloop) said…

    Hi boo_licious - Lucky you! I wouldn't hold my breath on mango recipes though. I've always thought they're best eaten raw, altho' I may be attempted to make a mango pudding or two =)

    Hi Reid - lol. Mango mania! I always try to eat a year's worth in the 3.5mths they're available!

    Hi stef - Ok sounds like this is definitely one I'll have to track down then! Stay tuned...

    Hi Big BoK - I love the Internet! I'm still not very good at trivia nights though =)

    Hi Saffron - I've been eating green mangoes with chilli and salt lately as well. It's only a recent dish I've embraced (I used to always wrinkle my nose at eating unripe fruit!) I still refuse to do it with Kensington mangoes though. Would much rather let it ripen!

     
  • At 10/10/2005 11:59 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    AG, I love mangoes as well! I like 'harum manis' mangoes (literally translated as 'fragrant & sweet' in Malay language), available in the northern states in Malaysia and southern Thailand. I love tropical fruits. Another favourite is rambutan. Ever heard of this fruit?

     
  • At 10/11/2005 12:00 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    AG, I love mangoes as well! I like 'harum manis' mangoes (literally translated as 'fragrant & sweet' in Malay language), available in the northern states of Malaysia and southern Thailand. I love tropical fruits. Another favourite is rambutan. Ever heard of this fruit?

     
  • At 10/11/2005 11:00 pm, Blogger Helen (AugustusGloop) said…

    Hi Amber - Thanks for your comment. I'm not sure if we get those mangoes here.

    I do love rambutan! I also love longans. I'm a big tropical fruit fan--durian, soursop, jackfruit, dragonfruit... it's all good!

     

Post a Comment

<< Home


      << Read Older Posts       |       >> Read Newer Posts