The season for huge, fist-sized, yellow to orange flesh, fragrant, juicy, sweet mangoes, will soon be upon us. The trees across the island are in varying stages – some full of blossoms, some densely populated with young fruit and others with branches bowing with the weight of those signalling that they will soon be ready to be picked. It’s coming, mango season, and I can’t wait for it to get here.
I can’t wait to hold my first mango of the season – firm, ripe, and sweet smelling, cupped in the palm of my hand. How shall I have my first taste of the season? Should I roll the mango to soften the flesh, make a small bite at the opposite end of the stem and suck on it? Should I tear the skin with my teeth and bite into the flesh, the juices running down the sides of my chin? Should I make