Tag Archives: fruits

Mango chow

Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you mango chow, Trinidadian style.

I know it sounds strange, but trust me. It’s addictively sublime. I’ve been eating a lot of this lately, and I’m telling you, it’s impossible to get tired of this. It’s sweet, salty, tart, spicy, and oh by the way, incredibly healthy too.

Here’s what you do. Take a half-ripe mango and cut it into bite-sized slices. Take one clove of garlic, minced, and tablespoon or so of cilantro chopped roughly, and a sliver or two of your favorite hot pepper. Here at home, we use either a homegrown Caribbean red pepper or a congo pepper (also known as Scotch bonnet). Add in a teaspoon or so of kosher salt, some ground pepper if you want it, and lightly toss everything in a bowl to mix.

Then grab your weapon of choice and enjoy. I’m usually too impatient to reach for a fork by now, and just start picking the slices up from the bowl.

Excuse me while I go make this for breakfast.

You can do this with other fruits, like orange slices, halved grapes, or plum slices. It works best with tart or semi-tart fruits. And if you put the whole thing in a blender, you end up with a really fresh tasting fruit chutney. Excellent with grilled meats or curry dishes!

Excuse me while I go make that for lunch.

P.S. If someone can please tell me why those crazy Trinidadians name this chow, I’ll be forever grateful. (I’m allowed to call them crazy. I’m married to one.)

Green mango

I like mangoes
Red, yellow or green
Sweet or sour
Or somewhere in between

I’ll eat them with anything,
To me it’s all the same
But the bad thing about mangoes
Is they make my poetry lame.

Thank you.

And I’ve very, very sorry.

But I really do love mangoes.
Love them from my head to my toes.

 

I’ll stop rhyming now.