July is definitely Mango Month

Hi all! I’ve come to a sudden and very substantial realization this past month, July is definitely Mango Month, especially in South Florida. Also, it’s that fact that kept us engrossed and publishing so very little throughout the past weeks.

Lemme explain

Fairchild Mango Brunch

Back in May, we were invited to participate in Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden’s Annual Mango Brunch which celebrated the fruit and it’s cultural importance all over South Florida, the Caribbean, and Asia. Only 6 chefs were invited to develop dishes for the event and a crowd of 150 participants.

In case you missed it, it happened this July 15. This is where the Mango Risotto came into play. And it had a really good reception! It was a novel way to eat Risotto for lunch as a starter and it was complex enough to make it interesting with Vanilla and Chili oils.

The other Chefs present at the festival all had very different approaches to using Mango in their dishes, but they were excellent. While I did not get photos of all their dishes, let me tell you about them:

Chef Allen Susser : Mango French Toast

Le Basque Catering: Chef Mike Veloz

Catering By Les

Chef Chris Wessel l

The Brunch raised funds for the Garden’s botanical research and education programs which serve the community and professional institutions in cultivation, preservation, and development of plant species. We were very grateful to be able to participate and help the cause, and eat tons of great dishes from really cool chefs in South FL!

Also, so many Mangos!

Like seriously, so many mangoes!

National Mango Board Brunch & Brainstorm

Stemming from our collaboration with Fairchild on the Annual Mango Brunch, we were invited to a special Brunch (yay brunches!) hosted by the National Mango Board. Beyond a serious tasting menu- done by Bill Hansen Catering, Alicia, Carlos, and I along with other chefs and business owners were treated to a mango tasting and lesson on different cultivars.

But the food…..

Mango Bloody Mary shots with Snapper Ceviche

Mango Carpaccio on Sullivan Street Crostini with Spicy Lychee

Sorrel and peppered mango Salad with Garlic and Chive Dressing

Green Mango and Sorghum Grain “Moroccan Chili”

Pan Seared Tile Fish topped with Pistachio and Katuk Salad with a Mango Chili Broth

“Steak, Cakes and Eggs” red, Black Lentil and mango cakes, egg Frittata, Coffee Seared Sirloin Steak, Mango-Shiso Foam, Crispy Bacon Leaf

Upside Down Mango cake with Lychee Basil Slaw and Basil Sundried Cherry Ice Cream

I’ll go more in depth about this in upcoming posts, but there is so much more to learn! The biggest takeaway for me: Wild Mangos! They taste nothing like the mangoes we’re familiar with, much closer in aroma to onions, garlic, and jackfruit. It was funky but so complex!

A little bit about Mango Importance

A few statistics:

30% of restaurants nationwide offer mango on their menus, with an increasing figures since 2005.
Since 2005, Mango consumption per capita has increased 58%.
There are over 650 different cultivars of Mango
It’s the 8th most produced fruit in the world

Mango Recipe Development Series

So due to the information overload and copious amounts of mangoes in my freezer, we’re starting our first Recipe Development Series on MANGO! I really want to share with you guys all this information on what you can do with the fruit. So we’re covering:

-Anatomy of the Fruit
-Flavor compounds aromas
-Using every part into dishes
- Peel, Flesh, Fiber, Husk, and seed
Savory and sweet recipes you can do with the fruit.
Condiments, Bitters, and Alcohols.

So while we wont stop publishing other dishes as they are developed and regularly posting food inspired by our events, you’ll be seeing a lot more mango on the site for a while.