From Traditional to Exotic - Mango is Ripe for Pairing
From Traditional to Exotic - Mango is Ripe for Pairing
While mangoes are found growing in almost any tropical climate, this edible stone fruit has been cultivated in South and Southeast Asia since ancient times.
In India, for example, mangoes are a core part of the culture, featuring in legends and traditions, and symbolizing wealth, love, and good luck. Both ripe and unripe mangoes are eaten, with sour green mangoes offering more vitamin C and sweet ripe mangoes more vitamin A.
Pairing Mangoes with Chocolate
Mangoes and chocolate can be a luxurious and even healthy combination. Not every chocolate will pair well with every variety of mango, but keeping in mind some general guidelines will help you to create mango-chocolate matchups that intrigue and delight your customers.
Pairing Chocolate with Mango by Origin
A couverture’s origin can be a great clue to whether or not it will pair well with mango. In Ecuador, mangoes are cultivated mainly in the province of Guayas, the same region where the cocoa beans for Callebaut’s Arriba Milk Chocolate are grown. If you’re looking for a milk chocolate to use in your latest mango creation, it’s a natural choice. Arriba tastes great paired with mildly acidic ingredients - a perfect match for mango!
The climate of West Africa is nearly ideal for growing mangos, and Cacao Barry Zephyr White Chocolate is made primarily from beans grown in this region. The sweet creaminess of white chocolate is an excellent match for mango; just be sure to choose one with a subtle sweetness and more dominant creaminess to avoid over-powering some of the mango’s more subtle flavour elements.
Chocolate-Mango Pairing Based on Flavour
Cacao Barry’s Alunga Milk Chocolate offers intense roasted cocoa notes, which help play up the floral and spicy qualities of many mango varieties.
Callebaut’s Ruby Chocolate pairs well with exotic and citrus fruits as well as flavours like apple and apricot, which also go nicely with mango - a mango match made in heaven!
Tips for Pairing Flavours with Mango
The mango tree is part of the evergreen family, and slightly under-ripe mangos offer intriguing and refreshing whiffs of pine that can open a world of pairing ideas for the adventurous pastry chef or chocolatier.
As a general guideline, match mangos with other fruity, spicy, or creamy ingredients, but be careful to allow the mango’s flavours to shine.
Fruits like green apples, bananas, apricots, raspberries, and avocados can lift a mango to new heights or act as a complementary companion in many applications.
Look to spices and herbs to underscore the floral, zingy notes of mango. Cardamom, basil, cilantro, mint, and chilis are good places to start experimenting.
While Mangos can be found growing happily in many parts of the world, look to their origins in India for pairing clues: cardamom, cumin, coconut milk, ginger, lime - all traditional ingredients that naturally enhance the warm, sunny aspect of this delicious stone fruit.
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