MANGO MAGIC
Q: What does Paisley pattern have to do with Mangoes?
It’s easy to tell when mangoes are in full swing at the Sydney Markets, not only are the luscious yellow fruits clearly in abundance but their sweet, tropical aroma literally takes over the Flemington site, distracting buyers and visitors with early morning visions of cocktails and beach holidays. While we’re a while off that stage yet, the first of the Kensington Pride mangoes from the Northern Territory have arrived at the markets. They are in good supply, good quality and eating at around an 8/10. To get your juices flowing for the peak mango season and its signature aroma, this week we are sharing inspirational recipes and flavour combinations that capture the essence of this nutritional, delicious and iconic fruit.
Mango varieties: For more information on the individual mango varieties and when to expect them, click here.
The Feel Good Factor: A 200 g mango provides up to 3x the RDI of Vit A and Vit C. They are also a rich source of fibre and potassium and provide more of the anti-oxidant beta-carotene than any other fruit
Something Light:
Crunchy Jicama and Mango salad with Chile and Lime
Source: Tyler Florence via Lifestyle Food
NB: With Jicama (yam bean) and mango both in season until December, this crunchy combination of flavours is ideal for a Spring salad. To find out more about Jicama, click here
Mango salsa and coconut heart salad
Source: Peter Kuravita via SBS Food
NB: This salad offers a wonderful blend of flavours. While coconut hearts can be a little hard to come by, never fear as granny smith apples are offered as a good replacement
Tahitian snapper tartare
Source: Robert Oliver via NZ Herald
Something Substantial:
Tali Macchi
Source: Alfred Prasad via Great British Chefs
Duck and Mango curry, plus lemon and curry leaf rice
Source: Yotam Ottolenghi via Guardian.co.uk
Seared Tuna with Mango Salsa (Ca Tu Chien)
Source: Luke Nguyen via SBS Food
Something Sweet:
Caramel mille feuille, mango and gold leaf press and crystalised chilli
Source: Frances Atkins via Great British Chefs
Young coconut jelly and burnt mango cream with pandanus macaroons
Source: Martin Boetz via Gourmet Traveller
Something Refreshing:
Ceylon Sailor
Source: Wayne Collins via BBC Food
Mango, ginger and lemongrass cordial
Source: Gourmet Traveller
A: The pattern we all know as Paisley (due to the market dominance of the weavers from Paisley, Scotland during the 1800s) was actually created in India where it was inspired by the shape of the mango- which in India is considered to be a divine food of the Gods symbolising love. In Tamil the paisley pattern is called ‘Mankolam’ (mango design), in Punjabi it is called ‘Ambi’ which derives from ‘Amb’ (mango) and in Pakistan it is called the ‘Carrey ‘ design with the word ‘Carrey’ meaning mango seed in Urdu.
SOME LIKE IT HOT
Q: Explosive chillies?? How hot are we talking?
South American food has seen a major revival in Sydney over the last few years. The strong South American contingent at this year’s Crave’s World Chef Showcase was a clear indication of the interest in South American flavours among foodies, while a Masterchef appearance by the 2 hatted Porteno team has seen Aussie barbies flaring to life.
The pepper (capsicum) is one of the most important seasoning ingredients in South American food, both the sweet and hot varieties are treasured and used widely. Unfortunately, the meaning of pepper tends to get lost in translation. Many varieties look very similar, and depending on where you are and who you talk to, peppers can be chillies, chillies can be capsicums and capsicums can be sweet peppers?! Clear as mud!
While Australians refer to Bell Pepper/Sweet Pepper as a capsicum, ‘capsicum’ is actually the genus name for the flowering plants that produce sweet peppers and their fiery cousins, chillies. Capsicums fall under the umbrella of the Nightshade family, which also includes tomatoes, eggplants and the pepino. As we are now coming into peak season for Capsicums in Australia, below is a list of the main varieties you’ll see cropping up at the markets.
OH SO SWEET: These capsicums have a zero to low Scoville rating. A recessive gene in bell peppers actually eliminates capsaicin
CAPSICUM
Alias: Bell Pepper, Sweet Pepper
- COLOURS: Green, Red, Orange, Yellow, Red.
- APPEARANCE: Large, block shaped fruit with 4-6 lobes and seeds on the inside
- AVAILABILITY: All year, best between November - June
- FLAVOUR: Sweet
- Green is less sweet and slightly more bitter
- Red fruit can contain up to 2 tablespoons of natural sugar
- BEST FOR: Everything, as long as you aren’t looking for heat
- TASTY FACT: Red capsicums are the most nutritious, having more carotene, lycopene, and vitamins than their younger green siblings.
GOURMET ORANGE/YELLOW:
Alias: Paprika
- COLOURS: Orange and Yellow
- APPEARANCE: Similar to regular bell peppers, however ½ to 2/3rd the size
- AVAILABILITY: All Year, best between October and April
- FLAVOUR: Sweet
- BEST FOR: A sweet, colourful addition to salads, also good for stuffing or roasting
HUNGARIAN CAPSICUM:
- COLOUR: White to cream
- APPEARANCE: Similar in size and shape to Gourmet Capsicum range
- AVAILABILITY: All Year, best between November to March
- BEST FOR: Goulash! Salads, stuffing or roasting
BULLHORN:
- COLOUR: Red, Green, Yellow
- APPEARANCE: Long, curved and tapered to a point
- AVAILABILITY: October to March
- FLAVOUR: Sweet, fruity
- BEST FOR: Stuffing or as a substitute for bell peppers
BABY CAPSICUM- VINE SWEET:
- COLOUR: Yellow to Red
- APPEARANCE: Mini capsicums between 5-7cms
- AVAILABILITY: All Year
- FLAVOUR: Sweet and crunchy
- BEST FOR: Salads, Stir fries, gourmet presentation
IL BELLO ROSSO (BABY RED CAPSICUMS):
- COLOUR: Red
- APPEARANCE: Mini capsicums between 5-7cms
- AVAILABILITY: All Year
- FLAVOUR: Sweet and mild
- BEST FOR: Salads, Stir fries, gourmet presentation
BRING ON THE HEAT: These chillies have capsaicin present in the white pith around the seeds and the seeds themselves, the capsaicin is what brings on the burn.
LONG CHILLIES:
Alias: Cayenne Pepper
- COLOUR: Green to Red, depending on stage of maturity. Green is immature, red is ripe.
- APPEARANCE: Long and slender, tapering to a point.
- AVAILABILITY: All Year, best between September and March as cooler months affect the heat of the chilli
- FLAVOUR: Range from Mild and Sweet to moderately hot
- Green: Hot
- Red: Sweet and spicy
- THE BURN: Hot. Similar to Tabasco. Scoville = 30,000- 60,000
- BEST FOR: Indian, Chinese, Indonesian and Thai Cuisine
JALAPENO:
- COLOUR: Green (sometimes allowed to mature to red)
- APPEARANCE: Medium sized, 5-9cm long, firm
- AVAILABILITY: All Year
- FLAVOUR: Spicy capsicum
- THE BURN: Medium- Hot. Scoville = 10,000
- BEST FOR: Seasoning, spicing up sauces, salsa, soups
HABANERO:
- COLOUR: Unripe habaneros are green but when mature can be orange, red, brown, pink or even white
- APPEARANCE: Habaneros are short and look like a small bell pepper with the air sucked out.
- AVAILABILITY: All year, best in Nov-Mar
- FLAVOUR: Hot and Spicy with a hint of citrus/tropical
- THE BURN: The deep burn, the Habanero is one of the hottest available averaging between 100,000-350,000 on the Scoville scale (some have been known to hit 600,000)
- BEST FOR: An angry sauce!
BIRDS EYE:
Alias: Thai Chilli
- COLOUR: Red when mature, but can also be yellow, purple or black
- APPEARANCE: Small and round, lots of seeds
- AVAILABILITY: All Year
- FLAVOUR: Punchy
- THE BURN: Hot!! Scoville = 50-000 to 100,000
- BEST FOR: Thai, Vietnamese and Cambodian dishes- adding heat to pasta, soups, sauces, salads and dips
BANANA CHILLI
Alias: Hungarian Yellow Wax
- COLOUR: Yellow to orange.
- APPEARANCE: Curved, comes to a point. Thick, waxy flesh
- AVAILABILITY: All Year
- FLAVOUR: Sweet and Hot, similar in heat to a Jalapeno
- THE BURN: Medium-Hot. Scoville = 5,000 – 10,000
- BEST FOR: Stuffing, soups, sauces and salads
BISHOP’S CROWN:
Alias: Christmas Bell
- COLOUR: Immature is pale green, matures to red
- APPEARANCE: Distinct wings on 3 to 4 pods
- AVAILABILITY: In height of season
- FLAVOUR: Fruity and spicy
- THE BURN: Medium- Hot. Scoville = 5,000- 30,000
- BEST FOR: Salsa, stir fries, drying or pickling
A: The hottest chilli recorded to date is the Trinidad Scorpion Butch T Pepper which recorded over 1,400,000 on the Scoville rating. They’re so hot they come with a safety warning! “Exposure to the eye or skin near the eyes when handling this pepper could cause temporary blindness. While preparing the Butch T, one should wear a chemical mask or a body suit to defend against fumes given off in the cooking process.” To give you an idea of how hot that is, the second strongest chilli in the world, the Bhut Jolokia, is being used by the Indian military as an anti-terrorist measure. Used as Chilli Grenades they choke the enemy's respiratory tract, leaving targets barely able to breathe, while their eyes, throat and skin, burn and sting. Now that’s explosive.