Spicy Mango Cilantro Salsa

The Mango season is about the begin, and us islanders couldn’t be happier! We are all looking forward to eating our favorite fruit of the summer season. Although the trees seem to have fewer mangoes than last year, at least they are showing up in the grocery stores. This is a quick and spicy mango cilantro salsa that I love to put on top of fish, chicken or a fresh garden salad.

In the Bay Island, you can find many varieties of mangoes. They range in size from that of a Kiwi to the scale of a Cantaloupe, each having their unique shape, texture, and taste. The smaller mangoes you’ll find here in Roatan include the Anise mango, the sugar mango, the Belize mango, and the round or common mango.

Of all the mangoes, the round mango is my favorite! Although, it is probably the most difficult of all the mangoes to eat, because you’ll need to have a sink nearby to wash juice from your chin, to me it is the most flavorful. A favorite way for my family and I to eat them is while swimming in the ocean or “bathing in the sea” as we say around here!

Here is a simple salsa recipe that will help you to use all those mangos this season. The Haden mango used in this recipe is one of the larger varieties and one that you’ll find most often in grocery stores.

Start by dicing one large ripe mango.

Next chop the cilantro, bell pepper, onion, and mutton pepper or jalapeño pepper.

Mutton Pepper

Then combine all ingredients in a bowl. Add the juice of one lemon or lime, salt, and pepper to taste, then stir!

Enjoy this salsa with grilled teriyaki chicken breast, blackened fillet of fish, atop a bed of greens for a refreshing summer salad, or with your favorite chips!