
For the longest time I disliked mangoes. At least, I thought I did. The reason for this imagined dislike was Mango Madness Snapple, which as a child I detested and wrongly came to view as an accurate representation of the fruit's true flavor.
This admittedly stupid prejudice stayed with me for quite some time, strong as ever, until just a couple of years ago when I happened across a New Yorker article on flavorists -- a select group of chemists who work in secret with the big food and drink manufacturers (Snapple included) to synthesize chemicals that impart nutrtionally vacant flavors to their products. Sometimes the flavors are meant to mimic the original, other times they're meant to convince the consumer that they are tasting what's on the label.
It was one of those "ah ha!" moments that after it arrives you feel embarrassed for not having realized it sooner.
I decided to mangoes another go, and I came to fully appreciate the wrong-headedness of my embargo of the fruit on my first trip to Mexico, when I was introduced to the Manila mango. Sweet, soft, spicy, juicy, and completely lacking the stringy, fibrous texture that can sometimes mar other varieties. They are an almost indescribable treat.
So I was more than excited to find a few good Manilas at my local Latin market (they are grown in Mexico, and the fruit is so soft that shipping them can be difficult). I snapped them up and sliced them thin for this wonderful Thai take on rice pudding. The rice, infused with sugar and coconut cream, would be almost too sweet on its own, but the mild tartness of the sliced mango cuts that sweetness just enough to leave you with a wonderful flavor combination.
Pictures and recipe (adapted from Saveur.com) after the jump.
Consider, the Manila mango
Sliced and ready to serve
RECIPE: Adapted from Saveur.com. Serves 4-6
1 cup Thai sticky rice
1 cup coconut cream (or 1 13.5-oz. can coconut milk)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 mangoes, peeled and sliced
Bring rice to a boil in a small pot with 1 1/2 cups of water. Reduce heat and cover, let simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
Put the coconut cream in a small saucepan with the sugar and salt. Bring to a boil and pour into the pot with the cooked rice. Mix well and set aside, allowing 30 minutes or so for the coconut mixture to fully infuse.
Spoon the rice into small bowls, top with the sliced mango, and serve.