Wonder no more.
Aam (pronounced am as in tram) as it is called in most of India, is really the king of fruits. There are reportedly 1.500 varieties of aam in India alone.
I did not spend one single summer in India when I did not eat hundreds of aams.
Although Indian mangos are hard to get in the US, there are many South American varieties now commonly available.
These include Ataulfo, Kent, Tommy Atkins, and Hayden. My favorite variety is Kent.
Here are some simple instructions to enjoy this fruit.
Step 1. Check if ready to eat. Although still somewhat green in color, the mango may be ready to eat. To check if this is the case, gently push a finger into the skin. If it creates a slight dimple, it is ready.
Step 2. There is a large seed in the center. The seed like the fruit is thin in one direction compared to the other. Cut the main slices from both sides of the thin direction leaving about ½ inch from the center for the seed.
Step 3. Cut a crisscross pattern spaced about ¾ inch apart making sure the knife does not cut through the skin. Gently push the pulp out from the skin side keeping the skin intact. The resulting rectangular chunks can be scooped with a spoon to eat.
Step 4. Cut the skin around the seed as shown.
Now comes the messy part. Unless you want to throw out all the pulp around the seed, using your hands, you will need to gently bite/suck the pulp from the skin and the seed. Just make sure you don’t drop some of the juice and pulp bits on to your expensive dress/tie!
There are many recipes in my book – From Mom with love…- using mangos. Not the least of which is Mango Lassi!
| Mango Nutrient Information* | |
| Serving size: 3 1/2 ounces mango slices | |
| Calories | 66 |
| Protein | 0.5g |
| Total Carbohydrate | 17g |
| Fat | 0.27g |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Sodium | 2mg |
| Potassium | 156mg |
| Vitamin A | 3,890IU |
| Vitamin C | 27mg |
Mangos are an excellent source of Vitamins A and C, as well as a good source of Potassium and contain beta carotene. *
Mangos are high in fiber, but low in calories (approx. 110 per average sized mango), fat (only 1 gram) and sodium. *
*Source: http://www.freshmangos.com
