Take an exotic, flavorful trip to the tropics
Best to buy
Choose semisoft fruit with uniformly smooth skin. A couple black spots are acceptable as these indicate a very ripe mango—and the riper, the sweeter.
Cut & clean
Mangos are delicious raw but should be peeled as the skin is very acidic. After peeling, use a sharp knife to cut the flesh away from the large, flat, oval stone in the center. Or cut away from stone first, score the fruit attached to the peel crossways, and then cut fruit away from the peel to make mango cubes.
Power food
Mangos are an excellent source of vitamins A and C.
Whip up a sweet snack
Enjoy mangos topped with yogurt or mixed into breakfast cereal. You can also freeze pieces to puree for juice, marmalade, compote, or sauces.
Varieties
There are over a thousand varieties of mangos that vary in shape from round to pear-shaped to narrow and oval, and that can weigh up to 4 pounds (1,814g). Mangos sold in markets are usually not differentiated by variety, but are generally 4 to 5 inches (10 to 12.5cm) in length and weigh about 8 ounces (227g). One exception is the Manila mango; these are a smaller, golden-yellow variety that are now appearing in markets.
Preparation, uses, and tips
Mangos are perfect eaten raw, but they should always be peeled, as the skin is very acidic. After peeling, use a sharp knife to cut the flesh away from the large, flat, oval-shaped stone in the center. Eat as-is, or top with yogurt or mix into breakfast cereal. Pieces can be frozen, made into juice, marmalade, compote, or puréed into sauces. Chutney is prepared from unripe, green mangos. Dried mangos are also available in the dried-fruit section of many markets.
Nutritional Highlights
Mango (sliced, raw), 1 cup (165g)
Calories: 107
Protein: 0.84g
Carbohydrate: 28g
Total Fat: 0.45g
Fiber: 2.97g
*Excellent source of: Vitamin A (6,425 IU), and Vitamin C (45.7mg)
*Foods that are an “excellent source” of a particular nutrient provide 20% or more of the Recommended Daily Value. Foods that are a “good source” of a particular nutrient provide between 10 and 20% of the Recommended Daily Value.
Copyright 2007, Healthnotes, Inc., 1505 S.E. Gideon St., Suite 200, Portland, Oregon 97202, www.Healthnotes.com.
2006-09-07
