Mangoes are the sweetest fruits around and are always plentiful when in season. Where I live mangoes grow everywhere: in the forest, by the river even at the side of the road. What is even better, is that a mango tree bears for many years. Some bear year round, so you are never without the crop, but most bear seasonally. Mangoes bear mostly during the months of July and August around the rainy season. It is mostly eaten fresh, green or ripe; or cooked like in curry mango or mango anchar. Therefore, no one needs to be told of the nutritional content of mangoes. They know it from the time a mango is eaten - 40% of the fruit is water, it has a lot of vitamin C and A, fiber and don't forget the natural sugar. The health benefits of mangoes are tremendous.
Here I am cutting a starch mango, my favourite.There are many types of mangoes in Trinidad, with their distinct "Trini" names, such as Mango Julie, Mango Vere (Long Mango), Calabash Mango, Starch Mango, Mango Dou Doux etc., that reflects the passion we have for eating mango.
Julie mango
Governor mango
Starch Mango
Calabash mango
As mentioned before, there are many varieties of mango in Trinidad and Tobago, I'm sure If I go to name all this post will be very long.
Trinis certainly have a love for mango. We even have a folk song about mango that I can't seem to forget (of course, I can't forget, because it was drilled into into my brains at Primary school!). I unconsciously remember it every time I see a basket of mangoes.
I believe the lyrics goes like this:
Mangoes, mangoes, mangoes.
Mango vere, mango teen
Mango vere, mango teen
I want ah penny to buy mango vere, mango teen
Give meh ah penny to buy mango vere mango teen
Mango doo dou sou se matin Savez-vous all for me (x2)
Mangoes, mangoes, mangoes.
Mango vere, mango teen
Mango vere, mango teen
Ah want ah penny to buy mango vere, mango teen
Gimme meh ah penny to buy mango vere mango teen I want a penny to buy.......
Sounds greedy don't you think ;0) Also, it certainly does not cost a penny to buy a mango today.
Hey, I'm on a roll here! While I was singing this song I remembered one for corn also, that we sang in school.
Me bu ee, (x2)
Get yuh nice boil corn,
Soft and sweet, soft and sweet.
Every morning at six O'clock Madeline passin' by.
You could tell the time by de clock, Madeline passin' by
Rain, sunshine, wet season or dry
Hear her voices cry, "Me bu eee...".
Well that's what I could remember...
Some recipes with mango are:
Mango chow, Mango chutney, Mango Anchar, Mango juice, Mango cake, (this one I have to try) Mango bread (courtesy of Sprangalang and the local bakers flour advertisement. Ha Ha). Mango is also preserved. In this form we call it red mango.
Preserved Red MangoMango is truly a versatile fruit when in the hands of a Trini. How do you eat mango?
That's it for another post. Tomorrow, I will take a break, it's Sunday, and Monday I will see you all with more trini recipes. If anyone has suggestions on recipes I haven't posted as yet and would like to see it done step by step, email me. Already one person has asked for me to do sugar cake so that will be coming up soon. See you all!
