The Art of Eating a Mango

Maybe I just haven't eaten enough mangoes in my life (I blame my mother), or maybe Tanzania just produces really good mangoes, but I have gained a lot of appreciation for this inimitable fruit. Considering the pretty much tropical locale, fruit really isn't that prevalent. Other than the mango, there is: papaya, bananas, pineapple passion fruit and maybe some hard local pears, oranges or apples, but that is it, and many places you'd be hard pressed to find any fruit at all. The one real exception to this dearth of fruit has been the mango, and alas it seems that their season is about over..

One of the reasons I have consumed so many mangoes is because there is no real juice culture here. In Ethiopia juice was very common (and thus cheap and good) so I didn't eat as much fruit. Here, juice is expensive ($2-3) and rarely sold fresh outside of tourist places, but the mangoes are (or were) available and exceptional.

There are two basic kinds of mango: the small green one's that are eaten unripe with salt and chili, and the big one's that get a little reddish when ripe (the regular ones you find at home). I like the regular ones. I like them a little bit under ripe like I like most fruit, for the firmness and tiny bit of tartness (I know many people consider this sacrilegious). The big ones look a little more intimidating than their small green counterpart, but they are really a good sized snack. The pit accounts for much of the size, which is the reason eating them is an art rather than a science.

There are many ways to eat a mango. The assymetrical ness is really what necessitates the creativity. One cannot (especially with the local, non-gmo big pitted variety) cut it half then in quarters or any other fraction very easily, you have to improvise. Some people peal the skin off methodically and to make sure they get all the fruit. This isn't always a good technique when you are sitting on the beach or in your hotel room due to the juiciness factor.

As any little boy can tell you, it is fun to cut things with a sharp knife and mangoes are no exception (and having been carrying my knife around for 5 months, it's nice to actually use it). The way it is served in restaurants here, the bigger (more fruit) half is cut off and then it is cut for easy eating with a fork or spoon. When I am eating my mangoes I like to slice into it and carve out sections. It is difficult to assess when you'll hit pit, so one must be ever vigilant and slice accordingly. No two mangoes are ever the same (like snowflakes) so every time you first pierce the peel you are engaging in a unique piece of performance art.