What Does Mango Taste Like? How Can You Tell When A Mango Is Sweet Or Sour?

When you think of mangoes, you think of the sweet, fibrous, and juicy taste and texture of the fruit. But mangoes have varying tastes and smells depending on how ripe or unripe they are.

In this article, I’m going to break down the flavor profiles of mango. And tell you exactly what does mango tastes like. There’s more to the taste of mango than you think. It includes the texture, ways of eating a mango, and some other information you probably don’t know about.

So let’s begin…

What Does A Mango Taste Like?

There are different types of mangoes based on their ripeness. So when a mango is ripe, it tastes sweet and juicy. You can also choose from the intensity of sweetness with differently ripe mangoes.

The tropical flavor and aroma of mango can taste anything from incredibly sweet to almost citrusy, like a lemon or an orange tart.

Due to mango’s versatile flavor, it can also be used as a key ingredient in many recipes. Barring spreads, jams, and sauces. You can curries, paste, sticky rice, sandwiches, wraps, etc. with a mango that is not too juicy and tastes sweet and sour.

Moving on to mango that is not too ripe. Such mangoes will have a greenish color. They are relatively hard and fibrous. As opposed to the squishy and soft mango that is too ripe.

If the mango is flagrant and semi-soft, for instance, and it has a yellow-greenish tint of color, that’s how you know it’s ripe and sweet. But it will soft and squishy very soon.

A completely unripe mango, that is full green in color, will have no smell and have a relatively firm shell. Such mangoes are used in salads and for spreads more often because of their sour taste and firm texture.

How to Eat A Mango Based On Its Flavor?

There are different ways of cutting a mango based on how ripe it gets. So for example, an extremely ripe mango will have squishy flesh. The kind that you wrap your hands around and you can squeeze the mango that way you’re holding a peeled banana or orange.

Peeling the skin first and then slicing the mango slices is the best way to cut an overripe mango. It’s easier to cut the fruit lengthwise without it turning into a complete mess.

Next up is cutting a mango that is slightly ripe. So it has a firmer shell that is easy to cut into, lengthwise, without peeling the skin. You can cut along the middle, the pit, of the fruit to make sure you don’t leave part of the flesh. Slicing mango like this is easy and you can easily cube the pieces one after the other to serve on a platter or to add in recipes.

Can You Eat Mango Peels?

While most people do not eat mangos with the peel, they’re safe to eat. The reason why they’re thrown away is because of their unpleasant taste. The peel has no flavor, no matter how sweet and fragrant the actual mango is.

Having said that, mango peels are high in nutrients such as vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants. So if you do plan on eating mango skin, you will be getting a dose of vitamin A and C and other essential nutrients in abundance!

Many people use mango peels to make syrup or a natural, non-artificial sweetener. The recipe is to combine a kilo of mango peels (pits are optional), lemon juice, and half a pound of sugar. This makes a sweet and fruity syrup that you can use in coffee, tea, drinks, etc.

What Are the Most Common Types of Mango?

Here are some of the most popular mangos and their flavors.

Haden Mango

Haden mangoes are readily available in supermarkets and farmer’s markets. They have a sweet aroma and taste. Very tropical like coconut and pineapple. It can be eaten on a fruit platter and use in spreads and jams because of its strong scent.

White Alfonso Mango

Alfonso mangoes are not available all year. They have a specific season making it difficult to find. With regards to taste and texture, White Alfonso is sweet, much like Haden, and has a soft to firm texture depending on how ripe they are.

Royal Special Mango

Royal Special mangoes are as sweet as Haden or White Alfonso. But they do have a strong flavor that is sweet and mildly sour. They smell great, very fruity yet woodsy. You can think of Royal Special mangoes as a good balance of flavor that makes mangoes so special and delicious to eat.

How to Enhance the Flavor Of Mango?

There is a way to boost the fruity flavor of mango. Whether you like to eat mangoes raw or cooked, you can try different things to prepare them and adjust the natural sweetness of mango differently.

For starters, spices like salt, pepper, paprika, or red chili powder work perfectly with mango. You can simply sprinkle a little of each on a plate of fresh mangos to boost its natural sweetness and creaminess.

Grilled mangos taste unique and appetizing as a side dish alongside of chicken, seafood, or even rice. The smokiness of the grill adds more intensity to the sweet flavor of mango. If you use freshly ripe mangos, you can make the most of your grill without stripping the mango of its organic, sweet, and rich flavor!

Conclusion

Mangoes are eaten all throughout the year. They are easily available. And you can either eat them as if with a pinch of salt and other spices. Or you can add them in salads or smoothies for their sweet-sour taste and deliciously fragrant aroma!

You can make mango puree, spreads, jam, dressing, syrup, and so much more. Mangos have a versatile flavor and texture which makes them super easy to experiment with in the kitchen. So now that you know what mangoes taste like, don’t hold yourself back!