Mango magic - five top ways to enjoy Honey Gold mangoes

Bang, roll, roll, roll, pause and splat!

That's the noise a mango makes when it drops from lofty height of  tree branch onto the tin roof of a Queenslander home, rolls down the steeply pitched roof, hits the gutter and flies over to land, smashed on the concrete path.

Imagine this takes place in the middle of the night, with the sound of a possum who must be wearing work boots, following it.

My relationship with mangos is love/hate.  I love to eat them, love their glossy green leaves and welcoming cool shade but hate the noise of dropping mangoes and the mess. 

We just won't mention the year both giant mango trees fruited so well we could do nothing but put the excess in to the wheelie bin.  Unfortunately we found out a wheelie bin fully loaded with mangos is too heavy for a garbage truck to lift. Off to the dump for us!

The lush green leaves of a mango tree have been my companion for the past 30 years. Some of the trees have produced great fruit but others planted back in Brisbane's early days, were what locals call 'turpentine' mangoes.  I don't need to describe why.

A good mango is the fruit from the gods. It's warm yellow flesh is deliciously firm and yet tender, sweet and aromatic. No stringy bits are allowed!

When a box of Honey Gold Mangoes arrived at my front door I had plenty of ideas about how to use them.

Honey Gold Mangoes are fatherless offshoots from a mysteriously pollinated Kensington Pride tree. A bit of nature's magic.

In 1995, after waiting three years for his nursery-bought Kensington Pride mango seedlings to bear fruit, a sole mango farmer in Rockhampton, Queensland, found that one of his 1800 trees was different to all the others. And that was the beginning of Honey Gold Mangoes.


Here are my five favourite ways to enjoy a mango.

1. Just straight - no frills, except slightly chilled from the fridge.  

Cut off each Honey Gold mango cheek and score in a grid. Push the back of the skin and, hey presto, the mango pops. The cubes of flesh are easy to eat or pop into a salad. Don't forget to suck the flesh off the seed, best done standing over the sink!

2. Honey Gold Mango salsa

Peel and chop a Honey Gold  mango finely. Add three tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce and one of fish sauce. Add some chopped mint and coriander if you have it.

Use this to accompany grilled meat, add it to rice paper rolls, spread it on a sandwich as a condiment. Delicious and easy.

3. Sliced Honey Gold mango in a chicken salad.

There's definitely an affinity between chicken and mango.  My favourite easy peasy salad includes a packet of salad mix from the supermarket, the shredded meat of a barbecued chicken (not too finely shredded), a avocado and red capsicum sliced long ways, a Honey Gold mango sliced the same, some persian fetta, a small handfull of roasted pumpkin seeds and maybe some black olives.  I then throw over caramelised balsamic dressing.
This is so good.

4.  Honey Gold Mango breakfast trifles

These are surprisingly filling so don't over do it.  Grab a wine glass or other attractively shaped glass and chop a mango per person or between two people.  Layer the Honey Gold mango, toasted muesli and mango yoghurt (either buy mango yoghurt or mix mango into plain yoghurt). Add a layer of chopped mint and macadamia nuts if you have them.

This is so delicious you may never want to go out for breakfast again.

5. Honey Gold Mango Mojitos

For each glass, muddle three lime wedges, 6-8 mint leaves and a few chunks of Honey Gold mango. Add crushed ice, a shot of vodka, sugar syrup to taste and top with soda water. Garnish with a spring of mint and slices of mango.

Sugar syrup: combine 1/2 cup white sugar and 3/4 cup water in a saucepan and simmer for 7 minutes.  Cool before using.


Honey Gold mangoes

Kerry Heaney

Disclaimer:  Ed+bK was gifted a box of Honey Gold mangoes