BASSETERRE St. Kitts – MANGO SEASON has always been one many people in the Federation looked forward to, where the blossoming delights would fill the trees upon which persons would eagerly climb without fear to take what they could before the birds did.
In the not too distant past during summer time, children would make mangoes their breakfast, lunch and even dinner, as they would sit around a bucket filled to the brim and eat one after the other. They would sometimes even race to see who could have eaten the most.
This season has also been one where persons took the opportunity to make money. One would see the Bay Road lined with vendors and in their trays are mangoes at varying affordable prices.
Strolling through the various villages on both islands, persons could have been seen on their verandas or the side of the road with buckets of mangoes for sale.
And it was good business too! But where did the love for this delicacy go?
Today, during the mango season, persons would sell, but not many would buy; the mangoes would be on the trees begging to be picked and eaten, but persons would ignore the desperate silent cries of “take me...I’m delicious”.
Why is that?
Some explained that persons are not as willing to buy mangoes because the price is too high.
Some say they are so busy that they do not find the time to indulge in the fruity pleasure and it would be a waste to buy and/or “look mangoes”.
Others voiced that spending money on things such as mangoes is a waste in this day and age because “things are tight”. They claimed that they could simply go out and get their own, but, at the same time, they do not.
Another reason raised about mangoes, is that persons are too caught up in the chemically altered foods to which that they have grown accustomed in preference to natural goods.
Persons complain that most of the mangoes harvested during the season go to waste while there is much money to be made from them, but locals are not being innovative as their ancestors.
One person said that “although the mangoes are there, they have become too same old to eat just like that...there is no enjoyment in doing so”.
Many persons suggested that mangoes could be used to make different things, which would eventually appeal not only to the old but also the young.
Some of the suggestions made were to maximise on the use of mangoes to make products such as mango cheese, mango ice-cream, mango chutney, and even mango bread.
Other suggestions were to use the fruit to make mango rum and mango vinaigrette (something similar to salad dressing).
This will not only save the mangoes from being wasted, but it will put money into the pockets of those who make the mango products.
Persons also suggested that having these products made for importation would be good business for the Federation.
The Federation has great ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan), and there are many things that can be learnt from them; some of which are recipes to great products such as mango jam, dried mangoes, mango cane, and mango syrup.
For some three years, the Taiwanese have been producing these commodities with the hope of having locals not just use them, but learn how to make them.
There is an Agro-processing Workshop scheduled for Friday (Aug. 19) at the Agro-processing Unit in Needsmust, where the Taiwanese will be showing locals how they can use mangoes to make different products.
There are so many things that can be done with mangoes, but it appears as though persons are unwilling to take the time to indulge in them.
Why let the natural fruit of the earth go to waste? Why do we take so much interest in artificially processed foods other than the natural and healthier ones?
The Federation needs to get back to the days where mango season was looked forward to, especially when there are so many mango recipes around that can be enjoyed all year round.
