Green mangoes, sour but tasty

Considered the 'king of the fruits', mangoes are loved by people of all age groups in Bangladesh. The fruit is delicate when it is mature and ripe. It is generally sweet although the taste and texture of the flesh varies upon consumption. Green (raw) mangoes are sour but have a tasty flavour. For this, somebody says that green mango is perhaps the most deceiving fruit.
Without being familiar with a specific species, one cannot tell whether the mango is ripe or tender. Price of green mango, available in the kitchen market, is reasonable.
Sometimes a green mango may be actually ripe and may go bad in a few more hours. There are many species which do not change colours based on maturity or ripening. Therefore, a green mango may be sour or sweet, and some varieties are extremely sweet, though they may be light green from outside.
Most of the unripe mangoes may be bland, a little sour or extremely sour. Usually the mangoes which become sweet later, may be more sour when these are tender or just getting matured.
Mangoes are widely used in cuisine. Sour, unripe green mangoes are used in chutneys, pickles, side dishes, or may be eaten raw with salt, chilli, or soya sauce. A summer drink called aam panna comes from mangoes. Mango pulp made into jelly or cooked with red gram (dal) and green chillies may be served with cooked rice. Mango lassi is popular to all, prepared by mixing ripe mangoes or mango pulp with buttermilk and sugar.
When one puts chunks of fleshy, unripe mangoes in the humble dal, it gets elevated to something quite extraordinary.
Green mangoes can also be used to prepare green mango juice, a refreshingly cool drink which can quench even the most parched of throats in the summer.
Green mangoes can also be pickled and used to make sour chutney, which is the perfect condiment for any lunch or dinner. The mangoes can also be dried and used in the preparation of aamshotto, aam-panna and others.
Green mangoes contain an acid which helps ease digestion and control constipation. These also help the skin soften and breathe, making it healthy. Mangoes also help in the fight against diabetes by reducing sugar levels in the body.
Raw mangoes are extremely beneficial in treating blood disorders because of their high vitamin C content. Raw mangoes also contain vitamin A and E that enhance one's hormonal system.
Md Zillur Rahaman
Satish Sarker Road
Gandaria, Dhaka
zrbbbp@gmail.com