Then I discovered how to eat a mango in a more traditional way: that is to peel a mango from the inside out. You'll be surprised at how easy it is to prepare a mango when you have the right tools and techniques. This method avoids much of the mess and helps to maximize the amount of flesh one harvests from the pit. Additionally, this method allows the flesh to be harvested in nice neat cubes, which look great in a fruit salad or a mango relish.
Once you give it a try, you'll see how easy it is. Here's how it's done:
Stand the mango on its tip with the belly facing towards you and the stem end facing up. Take a sharp knife and slice down one half of the fruit starting on the right side of the stem (if you are right handed), all the way to the bottom. Next, turn the fruit around (180 degrees) and slice off the remaining side of the mango. You should now have 2 halves and the pit remaining.
Now, take your knife (I prefer a dull one for this step) and carefully score the flesh of one of the halves down to the peel (be carefully not to slice through into your hand). Make a checker board, by drawing your knife down the fruit lengthways 3-4 times and crossways 4-5 times. Do this to both halves of the mango. Now pick up one of the halves and begin turning the fruit inside out. You'll notice that the cubes open up and the inside of the peel is exposed.
The next step is to simply (and carefully) slice off the cubes into a small bowl. It doesn't get any easier than this to peel a mango. Once you have collected the mangos cubed flesh, return to the pit and see if there is any more flesh to be sliced from it. Once you have done that you can take the pit and gnaw off the remaining fruit. You'll find the kids fighting over the pit, like you and your sibs fought over the beaters after mom made frosting. Only problem is, there's only one pit. Now that's how to eat a mango!
