Mango-up your meals for summer

Brought to you by South African Mango Growers’ Association

What epitomises summer more than eating a mango straight from its skin, its sweet juice dripping down your arms?

With over 1 000 varieties known worldwide, mangoes are undeniably everyone’s favourite exotic summer fruit, and South Africans are lucky enough to have their own bountiful share of homegrown mangoes.

Delectable on their own, absolutely scrumptious in desserts or perfect for adding that fresh pop to savoury dishes, we actually can’t think of a meal that mangoes don’t improve! From pickles and preserves to spicy soups, salads and salsas, plus complementing chicken and pork, mango adds a bit of summer pizzazz to every dish.

No wonder this tantalising tropical fruit is renowned the world over as the ‘king of fruits’ – a title earned centuries ago due to the mango’s popularity among princes of the east and the belief in ancient India that it was the fruit of the gods.

Mangoes are in season now until the start of autumn, so there’s no excuse not to get creative!

2 mango-madness recipes to try:

Crisp oat and almond flour cookies topped with a mango-mascarpone topping. This is both an enjoyable snack and dessert all in one, perfect for the summer baking sessions.

For a spectacular mango-loaded brunch item or an all-day sweet, summery snack, this mango and coconut breakfast strudel is a real crowd-pleaser.

For more mango recipes, visit www.mango.co.za, like @SAMangoes on Facebook and follow @MangoesSA on Instagram.