Is there any sight more beautiful to behold than a fully stocked fruit bowl, bursting at the seams with delicious exotic treats?
Aside from the much-anticipated taste explosion when the feasting begins, there’s a huge amount to be said for the visual appeal of exotic fruit… a feast for the eyes, just as much as anything else!
If you’re wondering what fruit to include, bear in mind that no fruit bowl worth its salt is ever complete without at least one beautiful golden mango taking centre stage, an incredibly fragrant tropical offering that originally hails from southern India and has gone on to become one of the world’s most popular fruity treats.
Interestingly, mango has been part of our staple diet for around 4,000 years ago, first appearing in India and then becoming popular in Brazil, the West Indies and England.
Over the years, its name has changed from the original ‘man-kay’ to ‘manga’ and then ‘mango’, as it’s known today.
Aside from its incredible flavour, mango is also a very healthy option - so you can indulge entirely guilt-free! These fruits are chock-full of nutrients, including vitamins A and C, lots of fibre, antioxidants and carotenoids, so it’s a great choice for the health conscious among you.
And you’ll find that it’s surprisingly versatile as a fruit, working well in dishes both sweet and savoury, as well as cocktails, mocktails and fruit juices. You could easily devise a full three-course menu with mango as the star of the show!
The fruit is in season till September so you’ve still got plenty of time to enjoy it at its best (although, of course, we always have a ready supply here at The Finest Exotics).
So now’s the perfect time to give some new recipes a go… what about putting together a fine menu of Thai mango salad, prawn and mango curry, and mango and cardamom syllabub for pudding. Fabulous!