LOST IN TRANSLATION

Q: Peter Piper picked a peck of ‘mangoed’ peppers? 

 The influence of Asian ingredients and cooking methods has brought an exciting complexity to Australian Cuisine. To prevent these unique flavours getting lost in translation, it is important to learn how to recognise and prepare the varieties of Asian inspired produce increasingly available at the markets.

 The green mango is a delicacy in Asia and serves as an example of how an exotic fruit can have varieties that look very similar but have strikingly different uses and flavours. Green eating mangoes can be grated fresh in salads, salted and dried, sliced in vinegar or fish sauces or eaten as a fruit.

 Green Mangoes come in two categories: immature and mature. ‘Immature’ green mangoes are picked early and never ripen or become sweet. The skin, flesh and soft stone are all edible and are often used in pickles or chutneys. In contrast, the ‘mature’ green mango is allowed to fully ripen on the tree. The skin thickens and becomes inedible, the flesh becomes firm and the stone develops a hard shell. When mature the flavour and texture is similar to a crisp, tart green apple.

 Here is a snapshot of some of the Green Mango varieties available in Australia:

 

 

 

Keow Savoey (Thailand)

Traits: oblong, dark green fruit. Green when ripe with semi-translucent pulp

Use: Considered the best green eating variety in Thailand. Used in salads, curries and chutneys because of its sweet-sour taste and firm texture.

 

 

Nam Doc Mai (Thailand)

Traits: almond shaped fruit with white green skin, develops a pink blush when exposed to sun. Green fruit is about ¾ of the size of the ripe fruit

Use: Generally not eaten green in Thailand, Nam Doc Mai in Australia is sold as a mature green or ripe fruit.  At its best when the skin takes on a whitish green hue, it has a mild sweet taste, though it can be quite sour when green

 

 

 

Falan (Thailand)

Traits: green, oblong shape fruit with no blush

Use: milder flavour than Keow Savoey and is generally eaten sliced in vinegar or fish sauces

 

 

 

Xoai Tuong- Elephant Mango (Vietnam)

Traits: Oblong shaped. When eaten green, the pulp is crisp with low fibre and is covered with a medium-thick green skin without any blush

Use: The fruit has a strong, sour flavour and is the most popular green eating variety in Vietnam

 

 

 

 

Raed (Thailand):

Traits: Oblong with a small pointed knob, the ripe fruit and flesh are light yellow

Use: Dual-purpose variety, being eaten green or ripe as a fruit. Rad has a slight sour flavour when eaten green and is very sweet as a ripe fruit

 A: When mangoes were first brought from Asia to the American colonies in the 17th Century the lack of refrigeration meant they had to be pickled to survive the journey. Over time, other pickled fruits (especially capsicum) became known as ‘mangoes’. This was so widespread, that by the 18th century the word mango started to be used as a verb meaning ‘to pickle’. 


MARKET TOURS

Q: Where does the fresh fruit and vegetable in Sydney come from?

 There is no better way to get inspired by fresh produce, than to brave the early morning hustle and bustle of Sydney Markets with an experienced buyer as your guide. With an estimated 2.5 million tonnes of fresh fruit and vegetables sold through Sydney Produce Market and Sydney Growers Market annually, knowing the who, what, where and why of the markets, is the key to serving up quality produce all year round.

After more than 35 years navigating produce markets around Australia, Simon George & Sons Director, Damian George is a more than qualified host. Damian’s broad product knowledge and relationships with the wholesalers, makes for a morning packed full of information, banter and fresh flavours.

The Market Tour kicks off at the largest Flower market in Australia before moving on to the functional mayhem of the Produce and Growers Markets. Here you get to see first hand the vast range of produce on display and learn the characteristics that buyers look for in their stock. These unique insights can successfully give you the edge on the competition, whether it be a reminder that purple carrots exist or what not to buy that week. To complete the experience, the tour wraps up at Scala Café, where a good breakfast and a hot coffee sets the perfect tone for the day ahead.

 A: The Sydney Markets are the main source for the fruit and vegetables in supermarkets, restaurants, greengrocers, exporters and food processors in Sydney.  Approximately 120 Wholesalers, 394 Produce Growers, 172 Flower Growers-Sellers and over 160 supporting businesses are located on site at Flemington. The combined sales from the Produce and Growers markets reach an impressive $3 billion annually.


SAFETY DOESN’T HAPPEN BY ACCIDENT

Sourcing product from accredited suppliers is the best way for businesses to protect themselves from the very real cost of unsafe food practices. It only takes one bad egg for your business to be left facing litigation, hefty fines, forced closure and widespread bad publicity.

 The deadly ‘Spanish cucumber’ Ecoli outbreak in Europe (which ended up actually being caused by sprouts grown from contaminated seeds) reminded the culinary world that no matter where you fall on the food chain, taking chances with food safety is not an option.

 Here are some good questions to ask your suppliers, if you want to avoid headlining the morning rag and the dreaded ‘Name and Shame’ website:

  • Have you had any contact with a person with a shiny badge (Food Authority)?
  • Are you HACCP accredited? If so can you provide current HACCP and Food Authority certificates? HACCP is an internationally accepted food risk management system. Accreditation demonstrates the investment of time and money to establish and maintain world-class food safety protocols
  • If pending, when will your HACCP accreditation be finalised? The average timeframe for achieving HACCP accreditation is 6 months. The process may take longer if the amount of work required to meet the set criteria is extensive or complex
  • What are you accredited for? This question ensures compliance for all areas of the business- i.e. processing , storage, transport
  • Are your agents/suppliers required to provide HACCP accreditation?
  • Does your Food Authority licence cover all products/areas of the business? This is important as specific licences are issued for transporting high risk products such as eggs and plant material, as well as high risk areas such as processing stations
  • If contamination is discovered, are you able to trace and recall goods promptly?
  • Do you undertake regular micro-testing of your processed goods?
  • Do you undertake regular micro-testing of your environment?
  • Are your goods transported in an approved , temperature controlled vehicle?
  • Do you regularly check the temperature of your vehicles and cool rooms?
  • Do you have an ongoing pest control program?
  • Have your food handling staff undergone thorough training in safety procedures?

 The estimated annual cost of food poisoning in Australia is $1.25 billion. NSW and the public health system bear roughly 1/3rd of these costs. On average 5.4 million Australians contract food poisoning each year, resulting in 120 deaths, 1.2 million doctor’s visits, 300,000 prescriptions and 2.1 million sick days.