How to prepare a mango

One of my favourite fruits are mangoes. Now I have heard that the mangoes we get here in Canada are nothing compared to the fresh fruit you can get in the tropics. That's probably true, but since I've never eaten mangoes in the tropics, I don't have a comparison, so I blissfully enjoy my imported fruit full of juicy goodness.

But how? How does one cut up a mango? Mangoes have gained in popularity, but they are still one of those fruits that a lot of people don't know what to do with. This is at least in part due to the fact that they can be a bit tricky to prepare. They've got this big pit in the centre that you have to get around, and there is no denying that they are messy and juicy.

There's two general ways of getting at the yummy fruit inside. One way is to peel the whole mango, and then I imagine you cut pieces off of it. I'm a bit vague on the details of this method, because it seems really really messy to me. I use the other main method. I cut around the pit and then get the fruit off the peel.

First thing to do is make a cut all the way around the mango. I cut straight in, so I'm going against the pit as I'm making the cut around.


Next step is to cut again from the centre, but at an angle this time. Some people start with this step, but I like having the initial cut there as it gives me a guide for where to insert the knife. Put the knife at just enough of an angle to get around the pit.

Now, you'll have two halves, one with the pit attached, one without.

The next cut is easy since you can see the pit. Go in on angle, just like the last one, right under the pit.

You'll now be left with both halves, and the pit. There'll be fruit left on the pit no matter how you cut it. Don't let it go to waste. Eat and suck the fruit right off of the pit. :)

Now, we're left with how to get the fruit off of the peel. There's two main ways I do it. The first one is to cut a criss-cross section. This works better if you use quarters of the mango, but it can work with halves as well.


Then you just turn the peel inside out. You can either eat it right off the peel or cut it off.


The next possibility is to scoop it out. You can use any kind of spoon for this, but I like to use a melon baller.


You might have guessed what I'm posting for a snack today. Mango!


I often will pair this with protein for a more complete snack, but a mango is pretty filling, so depending on the time of day, I can also just have the fruit.