Many of you probably aren’t familiar with the taste of a green as it lives in the shadows of its future self, the ripe mango.    Generally most recipes use ripened mangoes but do you know that in Guyana and parts of the Caribbean the green mango is used more in cooking?   We typically save the ripe mangoes to be eating straight off the tree in its purest form whereas the green mango is used in a variety of ways such as curry and two types of chutney (achar and sour).

Another use of the highly underrated green mango is to make a cool refreshing beverage similar to lemonade.   Due to the tropical climate and year round balmy weather, we typically seek a way of staying cool when the heat becomes unbearable and have a variety of beverages that are equally as refreshing as water.   Yes we can just drink water but why not utilize all the bounty that surrounds us?    Green mango gives this beverage a quite unique flavor and it’s just what you need when the weather heats up.

Green Mango Drink

3 cups green mango peel and diced, about 1 large mango (discard the seed)

4 cups water

Juice of 2 limes

1 recipe simple syrup*

 

Simple Syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

To make the simple syrup:  Place ingredients in a small pot and heat until sugar has dissolved.   Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

To make Mango Drink:  Place diced mango and water in a blender and puree.     When the mango is finely pureed, place a large strainer over a large pitcher and pour the pureed mango into the strainer to separate the liquid from the pulp.    Stir the pulp with a spoon until all of the liquid is removed, then discard the pulp.   Next add the simple syrup and lime juice and stir to combine.   Place in a refrigerator until cold, then serve.