The rare pleasures of the ubiquitous mango

Namaste from Bagar on this scorching summer day. I have just returned to SFC after a brief trip to the market to buy a bag of delicious mangoes. Speaking as reformed mango-hater, I have learned to appreciate and enjoy the wonderful qualities of Indian mangoes over the past six weeks. They are soft, juicy, and a perfect on-the-go snack. The mangoes here come in all different sizes, making it easy to satiate oneself to the exact level needed. Unlike most other fruits, mangoes also taste great even in the severe heat (which is imperative in Bagar). In fact, they become more succulent as the day goes on.
One of the most useful things I have learned while in India is the correct method in which to consume a mango. For weeks, Siler, Sarah, and I fumbled around trying to cut the mango skin for easy access to the fruit’s stringy flesh, only to drip the yellow juice all over our sparse wardrobe. Not pretty. We finally came to our senses and took a page from the locals, observing their method in order to learn how to eat these things the right way. The technique is simple, yet its correct execution can be tricky. First, you must massage the mango, pressing on it and rolling it between your palms to loosen the yellow meat from the pit. Although it’s hard to be patient, you will have an easier time eating the mango the longer you do this. Then you need to wash the mango. With your teeth or an implement (I’d recommend your teeth unless you would like to get even more stares), remove the stem nub from one side of the mango. Finally, start sucking the ambrosial tissue out of the greenish-yellowish skin. Pure delight. When you find yourself without anything more to suck out and hyperventilation is in your future, pull out the pit through the widened hole and you will find there is more luscious mango meat to be had.
Siler, Lindsay (an SFC intern from Penn as well), and I ate the mangoes I bought. As you can tell from the stain on Siler’s shirt, some of us still haven’t perfected the technique. It's something to work on during out last two weeks in Bagar.