Mango-a-Go-Go

I did a doughnut through the Long Bien market during the week and was met by a million mangoes. It's the high season and these tropical ellipses are being traded with vigour. In the shadows of the Long Bien Bridge, which spans the Red River, this market is more wholesale than retail, more hardcore, more of a "keep out of the bloody way" kind of market. It was make way for mangoes on this particular day.

I witnessed one cartload of half a dozen crates being deposited, newspapers covering their contents and within seconds a swarming pack of fruit vendors was upon them. The minder of this booty was having a hard time defending his produce, even resorting to a slap here and an elbow there to keep these spirited women at bay. I was thinking these must be mangoes of gold, mangoes watered with the urine of an ancient king or mangoes grown in sun rays coming down at some auspicious angle to be creating such a fuss.

I elbowed my way into the action to check on the object of the commotion and, in doing so, created an even bigger stir. Picture this: tall dopey-looking blonde bloke, towering over the conical hats, lifting up the pages of the daily news to fondle green mangoes. And firm to rock hard they were.

I actually prefer to fondle yellow ones.

Mangoes are enjoyed underdone in Vietnam, given the chili salt treatment, served up in salads and, like green bananas, preferred for altar offerings to the ancestors because they last longer. Eaten raw, they'd be crunchy and sour - definitely, as Grandma used to say, pain in the tummy inducers. In a green mango salad, the fine slices are soaked in salty water which must draw out the tartness and the chili salt rub accentuates the sweetness.

The latter is a fine way to enjoy xoai (mango) but I'm still rather partial to the messy ripe ones like those in the top picture, the two cheeks cut off, segmented and bitten directly off the skin followed by the slippery munching of the flesh around the seed, juice oozing to the elbows.

Go the mango this summer in Hanoi. There's no shortage. Expect to pay between 15,000 and 20,000VND a kilo. (USD94c-$1.25, AUD$1.30-$1.70)

Comments

[linh]

hihi -xoai ..ngon nhi ? viet hay ghe

[Flora Fling]

Yummy!

[Robyn]

Oh gosh, what a lovely photo, that top one.

One sweet spring (last year) we lived in a house in Saigon with 3 huge mango trees in the garden. Gorgeous, luscious mangoes, literally hundreds of them, more than we could eat for 4 beautiful months. Mango shakes, grilled fish with mango salsa, mango and sticky rice, bags and bags of mangoes for the neighbors, the officemates, the vendor up the street .... wonderful.

Here in KL we have to wait for the arrival of Alphonsos from India ... but rumor has it they're the best in the world.

[gen]

you should try Philippine Mangoes - - yellow and sweet. Smooth flesh that literally melts in your mouth if it's really ripe. =)

[Sticky]

Thanks Linh!

What's the story with no mango Malaysia, Robyn? I thought they'd be grown in all tropical climates.

Filipino, Vietnamese, Indian, Australian - mangoes are pretty good regardless of where they're grown, don't you think?

[Lena]

I have a recipe to make mango salad. I think it's from Singapore, but has changed much to suit Vietnamese taste (I also changed it myself,:P)
+ An underdoned mango. Cut the 2 cheeks off and cut them into tiny long sticks. Then squeeze them to get rid of the sour juice. Mix them with some sugar and fish sauce.
+ A pinch of dry tiny-shrimps(tep)or shrimps. Roast them (without cooking oil)with suger and fish sauce untill they turn brown and crunchy. You can use dry fish or octopus instead.
+ Some other alternative ingerdients: green papaya/carrot/white radish soaking in vinegar, fried union, some kinds of mint (I'm hopeless to learn their names, even in Vietnamese). The amount of such things is not a big matter, you can you as much or as little as you like.
Mix all these things well, and we've got a delicious salad.