Rosalee Brown
MOST JAMAICANS have a favourite among the many varieties of mangoes grown here and look forward to the annual mango season. The mango is not native to Jamaica; it is believed that it was introduced here in the 1700s following the capture of a French ship by Lord Rodney.
Jamaica boasts many varieties of mangoes. There is for example, stringy/hairy, which is referred to as common mango that will cause you to use various measures after you have enjoyed the tasty sap to rid your teeth of the fibres. Some other popular varieties of mango in Jamaica are turpentine, blacky, rusty, sweetie, robin, number 11 and the more expensive varieties such as St. Julian, East Indian, Bombay, Tommy Atkins, Hayden and Keitt.
Many persons enjoy mangoes so much, that they will forego dietary prescriptions. Some diabetics and ardent weight watchers will tell you that this is the one time of year when they are most challenged. Other mango lovers will give up their regular meal just to enjoy their favourite fruit. A popular Jamaican folk song "mango time" makes reference to this, it goes as follows: "Mi nuh drink coffee tea mango time, care how nice it may be mango time, in the heat of the mango crop when di fruit dem a ripe an' drop wash yu pot tun dem dung mango time!"
Many Jamaicans prefer to consume more than one mango at each sitting, maybe because many persons own a mango tree, or maybe because this was one fruit enjoyed by many as children in rural areas when they went to 'mango bush'. Whatever the reason, the amount of mangoes consumed by some people at one sitting can be mind-boggling, in fact, some persons will tell you that you are not eating mangoes unless you are eating six or more. There are stories of the inexperienced mango eater getting an unplanned purging after a binge.
Some mango connoisseurs will tell you that if you don't bite into the mango with the juice running down your hands, you are not enjoying it. Others will eat the mango and extract every bit of the sap from the seed until it is white. Then there are others who will only enjoy the mango, peeled and portioned, served on a plate, so it can be consumed with cutlery to avoid the mess. Then there are others who only enjoy the fruit in a drink, salad, ice cream and other such desert items.
RICH IN VITAMINS
Mangoes are very nutritious fruits; they are rich in beta-carotene and are a good source of vitamin C, especially the green ones. They are also rich in calcium, potassium and carbohydrates. Four ounces of mango flesh has about 73 calories, about the same as an average slice of bread, so compared to many after dinner sweets, it is lower in calories and more nutritious. Although I personally like mangoes unadulterated, they can be used in both savoury and sweet dishes such as chutneys, curries, cakes, pies and beverages.
Freeze mangoes now for beverages or cooking when they are out of season; use good quality mangoes which are a little under ripe or just ripe but firm. Put peeled, cubed or sliced mangoes in a strong freezer bag or plastic container and label. Add a little syrup made from sugar or even sprinkle with sugar crystals to preserve the colour. I find, however, that if you want to avoid the excess sugar, you can have a relatively good product without the added sugar.
Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.
