Mango and Me

My daughter and Mangos at the House

After retiring from the military, my grandfather moved the family out of the military base and into a house that he designed and built, on the outskirts of the city. His passion lied with making things with his hands. Making furniture and growing a mango were 2 of his passions. The new house was built in a mango orchard. I had lived with my grandparents from the age of 3 months to my teenage years. The controversial topics of conversation between my grandparents had always been about which plant to grow and where, on the new property. My grandmother would always prefer the herbs and the chili. My grandfather, on the other hand, preferred flowers. One plant they always agreed on was mango.

Mexican Mangos

During the dry season, while it freezes and snows in NC, the mango trees in the tropics are in bloom. April to May in the tropics is when mango arrives. Bats and fire ants often get to the sweet ripened ones before we could get a hold of them. My grandmother would pick the ones that were not quite ripe, lay them out in a shady, air tight room and cover them with Cassod leaves ( Bai Kee Lek) until they ripened. You can curry the Cassod leaves, by the way. That topic is for another day. There are many types and flavors of mango. Some are eaten when they are young and some when they are ripe. Some are sweet from the bottom up and some the opposite. Knowing how pick the ripe fruits is your second nature when fruits trees are steps away.

Young Mango Salad

I eat mango as a part of a meal, dessert and snack. I make salad out of the young, tart, crisp mango and drizzle with tamarind, palm sugar, chili dressing. The combination gives you a tropical destination, but for me...a taste of home. Really, who needs bacon or butter?

The large round, meaty mango can be used to make Thai red curry. The body of this type of mango holds up well when ripe. The flavor is not too sweet.
The ripe smaller type of mango, I eat them as dessert, accompanied by coconut sticky rice. Thai desserts are typically fruits. If you can step out to the backyard and pick fruits to calm the palate from eating spicy food in a hot climate, why would you bother baking and heating up the house!

Mango an Sticky Rice

Mangos and I go way back. I spent a bit of time throughout my childhood climbing its branch, watching the setting sun over the rice field beyond. The rustling of leaves as the wind passes by, gave me a sense of coolness and being calm. My grandfather seemed to also find most comfort in solitude with the mango trees. His passion lied in growing the fruits and me. He passed away several years ago. These days, when the Mexican mango floods the local markets, I savor the flavors and the memories of my grandfather with every passing bite...I hope you will enjoy it too.

Cheers!
Teera