WITH over 5,000 of the fruit-bearing trees on the idyllic island, Guimaras boasts what are claimed to be the sweetest mangoes in the world.
According to reports, the distinction has made the Guimaras mango a staple for meals of the royal family in Buckingham Palace and a sweet treat during state banquets at the White House.
The appeal of Guimaras’ famous mangoes is easy to understand – with its vibrant yellow hue, its silky and smooth texture, and its rich sweetness that will make you want to lick your lips after every morsel.
But what is the best way to enjoy Guimaras’ unequaled mangoes? Panay News is here to offer three suggestions.
CLASSIC DESSERT
We’re all most familiar with mangoes as a main ingredient for desserts, what with the ever-present dish at every fiesta and birthday party: the classic mango float, slices of fresh mango tucked between layers of thick graham crackers and cream.
But Guimaras’ mangoes can be incorporated into pastries and sweets in other ways. Often sold at the Manggahan Festival grounds are freshly-baked mango pies, pocket-sized mango tarts, and even mango smoothies and ice cream.
However, the quintessential Ilonggo favorite is the mango butterscotch, moist and decadent squares of sweet and tangy flavor. If you’re more of a toast and coffee kind of person, mango jam is the best for you. The very best of both these treats are sold by the Trappist Monastary in Jordan, Guimaras.
SAVORY TWIST
Who would have thought that mangoes and cashews would make a great pizza pie?
The Pitstop Restaurant in Jordan uses Guimaras’ mangoes in its gastronomical journeys. Their most famous? The mango pizza.
The perfect balance of sweet and savory, the mango pizza is topped generously with slices of fresh mangoes, cashews, and a couple of bell peppers rings, resting on a fluffy crust dripping with cheese.
The mango pizza is best paired with the restaurant’s other twists on Filipino classics: their chicken mango adobo, mango bangus sisig, and chicken mango curry.
Bonus: Why not drizzle your pizza with some mango ketchup? The weirdly yellow sauce has the ketchup flavor we’re all familiar with but with a hint of sweetness.
GOOD OLD-FASHIONED
But still nothing can replace the simple pleasure of eating freshly sliced Guimaras mangoes armed with just a spoon… and maybe a bib.
It harkens back to childhood memories of not being able to wait to finish lunch so you can dig into the panulce: a generous slice of sweet mango (or if you’re the younger sibling, the “salindron,” or the hard seed part of the fruit).
Drawing crowds every year and one of the highlights of the annual Manggahan Festival is the “Mango Eat-All-You-Can” which opens at the Guimaras Capitol Grounds today (until May 22) at just P120 per person. This year both ripe sweet mangoes (paired with ibus, sticky rice) and green mangoes (paired with bagoong) will be available for foodies who want to satisfy their cravings to the limit.
Remember, there’s no wrong way to enjoy Guimaras’ world-renowned mangoes./PN
