A super popular Mexican snack of fresh mango cut into a shape of a flower and drizzled with lime juice and ground chile pepper. You’ll often find them sold by street vendors all over Mexico, it’s a great way to cool down on a hot day.
Sometimes I think I’ll turn into a mango because of the huge amounts I eat when they are in season. It’s okay, no guilty feelings because better to eat naturally sweet fruit than sweet cakes or processed sweets. Right?
Today I’m sharing a really cute way of eating mangos, it’s how I grew up eating them as a child in Mexico — actually, pretty much all Mexicans grow up and continue into adulthood eating mango like this. Fresh, juicy mangos are placed on a thick wooden skewer (or palito) then peeled and cut into a form that resembles flowers. If you’d like you can add freshly squeezed lime juice over the mango and dust with ground chile powder or drizzle with a sweet and spicy sauce called chamoy.
If you’ve ever been to Mexico you’ll have surely seen street vendors selling mango flowers and/or people walking around with their mangos on a stick and taking bites. The vendors make the flowers look so pretty and it takes lots and lots of practice to archive that look — but don’t be discouraged, as it’s still a really fun way of eating this fruit regardless if the mango flower looks perfect or not. If you have kids I think this would be a really great summer treat for them maybe with just a little bit of chile powder or none, though. Even if you don’t have kids you’ll enjoy this fun experience.
As you know mangos can be a bit messy when eating in its original form, but because of the way the fruit is sliced in this pretty method, it makes it so much easier to just take a bite and not worry about the juices running down your chin or hands. I promise you’re going to love the taste of the sweet tropical mango flavours combined with a touch of heat. I prefer to use Tajin sauce (not being paid to say this) on fruit because it provides the perfect amount of heat, and a touch of salty without overpowering the sweetness of the fruit I happen to be eating. If you can’t find Tajin then feel free to use ground red chile pepper and a little pinch of salt.
Do watch the video below for a perfect visual explanation and you can get the printable recipe right below the video.
(If you don’t see the video right below this text, view it on our YouTube channel by clicking here.)
- mangos (preferably large & meaty mangoes, as it's easier to handle them)
- thick wooden skewers with a point
- Tajin ground chile powder mix (or substitute with ground red chile pepper and a pinch of salt)
- freshly squeezed lime juice, optional
- Slice off a couple of inches off the rounded end of the mango with a sharp knife. Now insert the wooden skewer into the exposed seed centre -- work it in by pushing and twisting the skewer back and forth, once you feel it go in a bit you can push it in a little further by holding on to the mango and tapping the wooden skewer onto your work surface.
- Peel the mango with either a knife or a sharp vegetable peeler. Working your way from the bottom up make small slices with the knife working down the flesh and right before cutting off completely angle your knife away from the mango, this creates the "petal". Continue all the way around the mango to finish the first line of petals. For the second line you want to make the first cut so it's above and between two of the first row cuts -- do watch the video for a guided visual explanation. Don't worry if you're petals aren't perfect, it takes lots and lots of practice to get it to look like the street vendors in Mexico. Once you've cut all the way to the top of the mango drizzle with lime juice, if using, then dust with as much Tajin powder as you'd like. Eat right away.
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But what kind of mangoes are used?! Is there a specific one that tastes better than another?
Hi Ry,
You can use whatever is your favourite variety and available to you. Just note that the larger sized mangoes are easier to handle for this recipe. Enjoy!