How to Eat a Mango?

Plump, juicy, sweet and at the same time tangy, such is the king of all fruits - mango; the mere mention of it increases my craving for this exotic fruit. Available abundantly throughout summer, you can enjoy ripe mangoes by simply cutting them or making thick juices. Eating a mango seems so easy and simple. However, do you know there are several ways that you can enjoy this scrumptious fruit. Before jumping to the topic of how to eat a mango, let's take a look at the health benefits of eating mangoes.

What are the Benefits of Consuming Mangoes?

Commonly known as 'king of fruits', mangoes are enriched with different types of nutrients such as vitamins, proteins, dietary fiber and iron. Of these, vitamin C contributes 46 percent and vitamin A accounts to 15 percent of the total nutrient content of mangoes. Both these vitamins act as powerful antioxidants and are effective in combating the harmful effects of free radicals. In brief, mangoes minimize the risk of developing cancerous cells in the body.

In homeopathic treatment, raw green mangoes are used to combat gastrointestinal disorders. Ripe mangoes, loaded with calories and starch, are also a good fruit for people who want to gain weight in a healthy way. They are also used as a diuretic and laxative agent. Other health benefits of mangoes include increasing appetite and improving skin complexion. So, eat lots of mangoes in order to reap all these health benefits.

Eating a Mango Properly

Mango is eaten with or without removing skin. If you love to have tangy fruits, you can eat green mangoes by sprinkling salt and sugar. The following steps describe all about eating mangoes right from selecting a tasty mango to slicing and devouring it.

Select a Ripe Mango
Some varieties of mango do not change their skin color even they are ripe and ready for eating. In order to select a ripe mango, you can press slightly and see if the pressed site is indented or not. If yes, it is ready to eat, otherwise the mango is not ripe. Also, check the fragrance of mangoes while buying them. Ripe mangoes have a characteristic fragrance.

Wash the Fruit Thoroughly
Whether you are eating a mango with or without skin, make sure you rinse and wash it thoroughly under running water. This will help remove unwanted particles accumulated in the mango skin. After washing it, you can pat the skin dry with an absorbent tissue paper.

Eating an Unpeeled Mango
Cut a small part (½ an inch) from the top and bottom of the ripe mango and expose the pith. Close to the pith, you can make mango slices from both sides. So, you have three mango pieces - two fleshy slices and one stony piece. Hold one half of mango with the fleshy side up (and skin side down) and make parallel scores (shallow cuts) from top to bottom with a serrated knife. Again, score the flesh in a direction opposite to the previous slits to make small cubes.

Repeat the same steps for the other half. Turn the mango slice inside out; you can now munch on the yummy mango cubes with the skin on. If you do not like to eat a mango like this, you can spoon out the cubes and have them. Now, take the stony piece and peel the skin with a paring knife. Cut the flesh from the stony part and eat. Or else, you can hold the stone and eat the juicy flesh directly from the pith.

Eating a Peeled Mango
Another technique of eating a mango is to peel it first with a potato peeler or a paring kitchen knife. As it is a slippery fruit, you need to remove the skin carefully. Hold the peeled mango in one hand, make slices out of it (½-inch thick) using a sharp knife and have them. You can also make a mixed fruit salad by mixing cubes of mango, papaya, pineapple and apple.

Irrespective of how you eat a mango, this delicious tasting fruit provides some of the wonderful nutrients that help you stay young and fit.