Pick Your Mango

1. Select a ripe mango. You can tell if a mango is ripe by feeling it. Like an avocado, it should have a slight give when you feel it. The aroma will also tell you if the mango is ripe. The stronger the scent, the more ripe it is.

2. Place the mango on a flat surface. You can use a cutting board, preferably one with a trough around it to catch the juice.

3. Slice around the stone. Mangoes have a large stone in the middle. Using a sharp knife, slice around the stone, similar to how you would an avocado. Similarly, you can slice down two sides leaving you with three pieces, including the one in the middle with the stone.

4. Make a checkerboard pattern in the fruit on the pieces without the stone, using your knife. This way you can turn the skin inside out and slice or scrape the cubes of mango into a bowl.

5. Cut around the stone. Using your knife, slice away as much fruit from the stone as you can.

6. Eat your mango fresh with yogurt or lime or puree it with a little lime in the blender for use in sauces and curries.