The most wonderful time of year...

MANGO SEASON. That’s right. Mango season is in full swing and it is amazing. Well, if you like mangoes that is. I have yet to meet a Mozambican who doesn’t like mangoes. But, they will usually tell me why one type of mango is superior to another. And just as the song goes, “this is the wonderful time of year…” I can give you 10 reasons why yes, mango season is the best time of year.

10.  You floss more. Yes, it can be annoying with all those mango fibers, but your pearly whites will thank you later on.  The dreaded chore becomes absolutely necessary daily and you find yourself flossing once, even twice a day depending on how many mangoes you can eat.

9. There are several different kinds of mangoes. Who knew? The fat green ones, the red ones, the orange slender ones and I have yet to try the purple ones—they aren’t ripe yet. I am sure they have more scientific names, but I have yet to learn them. Everyone has their preference, what’s yours?

8. I have found a new hobby trying to knock them down out of trees or using a large pole to knock them down. It is so satisfying when you hit it down on the first try. But, trust me, it takes practice.

7. Anytime you are hungry you can literally just walk outside and pick a mango off a tree. How’s that when you have a snack attack?

6. Neighbors will stop you on your way to work and tell you to take a mango from the pile they have collected. Or children will yell, “Mana Cao” and then throw a mango down to you from where they are perched in the tree. You take one and thank them kindly, but they insist. “Mais, mais.” More. More. There is an abundance of mangoes.

5. You can spend an entire afternoon filling basins with mangoes. And then just sit around with friends eating them. It doesn’t get much better than that.

The mangoes Nelio and I collected one afternoon.

Nelio with our prize mangoes!

4. Mango crisp. Think apple crisp, but sweeter and gooier.

3. Mango salsa. Add mangoes, sugar, tomatoes, onions, limes, salt and pepper. Grab some crackers or make your own tortilla chips. I think I have made this seven times already in the last four weeks. It is just the perfect combination of sweet and salty, nutritious and delicious. 

2.     You can practice English with conversations like:

Me: How was your day today?

Beto: It was good.

Me: What did you do?

Beto: I listened to music and ate mangoes.

Me: How many mangoes did you eat today?

Beto: Eleven.

You don’t hear that very often in the states.

And the number one reason why mango season is the most wonderful time of year: As the expression goes around here, “No one goes hungry during mango season.”

Now, there are a few things to keep in mind as you dive into the splendor of the season. Do be careful of eating too many. It is possible and they will cause some unfortunate GI issues. Mangoes tend to litter the ground—the peels, the pits, the fallen fruit. They are all over. Sometimes if you step on one it can be as slippery as a banana peel and you’ll find yourself flat out. And you have to be careful sleeping under a mango tree either in a hammock or on a straw mat because they can easily fall on your head. Eek. At the beginning of mango season when just the first few trees are ripe, you have to be careful of people who are just collecting mangoes to sell in Maputo. When I was away one weekend, someone came and took pretty much all the mangoes off one of my trees. Luckily, I am able to enjoy the mangoes from the three other trees in my yard, but I was pretty baffled when I came home and there were just a few left scattered on the tree. My neighbor tried to lead a small investigation, but was inconclusive. I had heard how amazing mango season is, but had never experienced it before this year. Now that we are in the thick of it, I can fully understand the hype. I hope to freeze mangoes to keep the season alive a little longer. And after mango season we dive into pineapple season. And then before you know it, it will be avocado season again. And you know what that means…GUACAMOLE! But let's not rush it. For now, I will continue to enjoy my mangoes.