Mangoes or Mangos

Apparently, both are acceptable, with “mangoes” more common in formal writing and British English, and “mangos” is often used in American English. No matter, the abundance this time of year is outstanding, and the taste of each variety enticing! 

In 1980, the photography class of Everglades City High School undertook the project of collecting recipes using local foods and talking with locals about the food of the area. This resulted in the first of several booklets titled “Prop Roots” with Vol. Two on “Recipes from The Mangrove Country of The Everglades.” One chapter had multiple recipes for Mango and included this quote from Marion VanAtta from Living Off the Land: “The mango is rated as one of the best tropical fruits of the world. It is sometimes called the ‘peach’ of the tropics.”  

For the past week, I have enjoyed eating a portion of a mango every day. Looking for options than just cutting and eating plain (which is hard to beat), I found several recipes in this Prop Roots pamphlet: Green Mango Pie, Haden Mango Salad, Mango Jam, Mango Key Lime Pie, Mango Pickle, Mango Pie, Old Fashioned Mango Pie, and Plantation Mango Pie (it’s beginning to sound like ways to cook shrimp in Forrest Gump!). Anyway, the most intriguing to me is the Mango Key Lime Pie by Gracie Goff.  

Thoroughly mix ¼ cup lime juice, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 2 egg yolks, and 1 ½ cups mango puree. Beat 2 egg whites with a dash of salt to stiff peaks. Fold into mixture. Turn into a 9-inch crumb-lined crust and chill until firm. 

Note: This is the same recipe I used to make Key Lime Pie (without the mango) but I now bake the pie first rather than using raw eggs.