All you need to know about … mangoes
Do you know your KPs from your Calypsos? And isn’t R2E2 the cute little robot from Star Wars? If you know the answers to these questions, then you know this fruit well, and are excited now that it’s coming into season. Which fruit is it? Read on to find out.
Fans will know the answer is mangoes. Mangoes mean summer to Australians, possibly more than any other fruit. With summer berries now grown in hothouses during colder months we have lost that special feeling of seasonality of many fruits – with the exception of mangoes.
It’s because mangoes are grown on trees and obviously can’t be grown in a hothouse. They have a very definite season which starts in September in the Northern Territory and far north Western Australia, with mangoes being harvested around Darwin and Kununurra, then in October and November mangoes from Katherine and Mataranka come online. These are followed by Queensland’s crops from Townsville, Burdekin and Bowen in mid-November, then Mareeba and Dimbulah in early-mid December, then southwards to southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales in January.
Five facts for mango lovers:
- 90% of Australia’s mango crop is consumed locally.
- KPs (which stands for Kensington Pride) are the most grown mango at 52%, then Calypso (22%) and R2E2 (13%). New varieties on the market are ‘Yess’ and ‘AhHa’. We’re not sure how they were named - maybe that’s what you’ll say when you taste them!
- Mango season is long – they are available until late March.
- While KPs sometimes don’t look as beautiful on the outside as other varieties, looks can be deceiving and they are regarded as the best eating mango.
Mangoes are incredibly versatile and can be used in so many savoury and sweet dishes. They pair extremely well with seafood of all types – tuna, salmon, all types of white fish, prawns, crayfish and oysters. They make an excellent salsa when chopped into small chunks with some Spanish onion, avocado, coriander and chili - use this to top fish tacos or a salmon ceviche, or to add to a salmon or tuna poke bowl. Likewise they are a perfect partner to chicken in an Asian-style salad with mango, some fresh salad leaves, avocado and a lemongrass and chili dressing. And they are the central player in smoothies and spritzes, as well as icecreams and gelatos.
Check out how best to peel and cut mangoes here:
And here are some recipes to make some mango magic at your house this season, from Hill Street’s recipe collection:
- Spiced Mango Chutney
- Grilled Mango Salsa
- Mango Chicken Curry
- Mango Coconut Balls
- Mango Chilli and Coconut Salad
- Mango Daiquiri
- Coconut with Mango Coulis and Caramalised Mango
- Mango and Avocado Black Rice Salad
- Mango Pannacotta
- Mango Coconut Ladoo
