Mangoes — season, tips, and recipes in Australia
Mangoes is a fruit available in Queensland during September, October, November, December, January, February, March, peaking in November, December, January. This page is a practical guide for home cooks: when to buy mangoes, how to pick a good one, how to store it, what it goes well with, three original recipes, and detailed nutrition information.
Kensington Pride (Bowen mango) is the most popular variety, grown mainly in Queensland and the NT. Australia produces over 70,000 tonnes annually. Calypso and R2E2 are gaining popularity.
How to pick a good one
Should smell fragrant at the stem end. Give slightly when pressed. Colour varies by variety (Kensington Pride stays green even when ripe). Avoid sap-burned or wrinkled fruit.
How to store it
Ripen at room temperature. Once ripe, fridge for 2-3 days. Cut cheeks off the stone, score in a grid, invert.
Goes well with
lime: Lime acid sharpens mango's sweetness and makes it taste more distinctly of itself. The combination is a fundamental Thai and Caribbean pairing used in salads, drinks, and salsas.
chilli: Chilli's heat and mango's sweetness create a contrast that amplifies both. Used together across Mexican, Thai, and Indian cooking -- the combination is geographically universal because it works.
coconut: Mango and coconut share a tropical provenance and aromatic profile. Both are sweet and fragrant; together they create a richer version of tropical flavour than either alone.
sticky rice: Mango sticky rice is a Thai dessert where the combination works because the rice's starchy neutrality carries mango's intense aroma. The coconut milk in the rice ties the two together.
coriander: Coriander's citrusy freshness contrasts with mango's heavy sweetness. The combination is used in South Asian and Mexican cooking in chutneys and salsas.
Recipes
Mango Sticky Rice
Thai classic. Sweet, coconutty, perfect.
Ingredients: 1 cup glutinous rice, 200ml coconut cream, 3 tbsp sugar, pinch salt, 2 mangoes
Method: Soak rice 4 hours. Steam 20 min. Heat coconut cream with sugar and salt. Mix half into rice. Rest 10 min. Serve with sliced mango and remaining coconut cream.
Mango Salsa
With fish, tacos, chips.
Ingredients: 1 mango (diced), 1 small red onion (diced), 1 chilli (finely chopped), handful coriander, 1 lime (juice), salt
Method: Mix everything. Rest 10 min for flavours to meld.
Mango Lassi
Indian smoothie. 2 minutes.
Ingredients: 1 mango, 200ml yoghurt, 100ml milk, 1 tbsp honey, pinch cardamom
Method: Blend everything until smooth. Serve cold.
Nutrition
One mango provides 100% of your daily vitamin C and 35% of your daily vitamin A. Contains over 20 different vitamins and minerals. Rich in polyphenols including mangiferin, a unique antioxidant being studied for anti-diabetic effects. About 200 calories per mango. One of the most nutritionally complete fruits.