{"id":33472,"date":"2020-08-24T00:52:49","date_gmt":"2020-08-24T07:52:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iamafoodblog.com\/?p=33472"},"modified":"2020-08-30T17:19:45","modified_gmt":"2020-08-31T00:19:45","slug":"mango-smoothie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iamafoodblog.com\/mango-smoothie\/","title":{"rendered":"Mango Smoothie"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of my all time favorite fruits ever is mango.<\/p>\n

Mangos are so sweet, so juicy, so tropical, and just insanely delicious. I\u2019ve gone days where I\u2019ve had dinner that consists of me just eating mangos. Yup, straight up just eating cold cubes of sweet, juicy mangos. Eating mangoes reminds me of Asia, in the best possible way. I remember eating so many mango sticky rice desserts in Thailand (I should really make mango sticky rice on the blog!) and being straight up obsessed with the mango smoothie from Hui Lau Shan in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n

Have you guys heard of Hui Lau Shan? They\u2019re an HK staple, a chain of dessert shops that specialize in mango drinks and desserts. They\u2019re incredibly beloved and they have stores all over the world, even in LA! They have the cutest mango mascot and the best mango drinks. Trust me, a mango drink is incredibly refreshing in the hot and humid heat (and all other weather too).<\/p>\n

\"mango<\/p>\n

Mango is life<\/h2>\n

There are over 500 varieties of mangos out there. World famous Alphonso mangos are often said to be the best of the best, but they have a very small season and aren\u2019t really readily available outside of India, at least unless you\u2019re willing to pay absurd prices. For me, the most readily available and best mango in North America is the Carabao mango. It\u2019s bright orange, super sweet, not too fiberous, has a small pit, and is super juicy \u2013 run down your arms juicy.<\/p>\n

How to cut a mango<\/h2>\n

There are so many ways to peel and cut a mango! Here are two that I do:<\/p>\n

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  1. \n

    The vegetable peeler<\/h4>\n

    You can peel a mango using a vegetable peeler. Just peel it the way you would a carrot. After that, lay the mango out on the cutting board, tall-ways. Carefully use a knife to cut off half of the mango, positioning your knife off center to avoid the pit in the middle. Repeat on the other side and then carefully use a pairing knife to trim off any extra mango from the pit. Dice up the mango as desired.<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    The hedgehog method<\/h4>\n

    The other way to peel is the hedgehog method: hold the mango on a cutting board, tall-ways. Use a knife and cut off a lobe of mango, positioning your knife off center to avoid the pit. Repeat on the other side. Take the mango and use a pairing knife to cut a grid into the mango halves, being careful not to cut through the skin. Flip the mango so that the cubes are poking out then carefully slice off the cubes. Or you could use a spoon to scoop everything out.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"how<\/p>\n

    So you want a ripe mango?<\/h2>\n

    When choosing a mango, color doesn\u2019t really matter. What you\u2019re looking for is a firm skin that has just the tiniest bit of give, like when a peach or avocado is ripe. Take a sniff: if it smells super fragrant and sweet, it\u2019s ready for you.<\/p>\n

    Mango calories<\/h2>\n

    Even though a mango tastes great, it’s also really low in calories. One average mango only has 202 calories!<\/p>\n

    The HK style mango smoothie<\/h2>\n

    I love Hui Lau Shan so much that I\u2019ve taken to making a Mango Mania Hui Lau Shan copycat drink. The Hui Lau Shan A1 is my absolute favorite: mango & mango jelly in mango juice. That\u2019s triple mango. Luckily, mangos are pretty much a staple at the grocery store in summer because I\u2019ve been buying them up like mad.<\/p>\n

    This mango smoothie is everything a mango smoothie wants to be. Icy and sweet and juicy with soft and squishy mango jelly cubes and fresh mango. Seriously so refreshing. It takes a little time and foresight, but I promise you, it\u2019s worth it.<\/p>\n

    \"homemade<\/p>\n

    Frozen Mango<\/h2>\n

    The recipe calls for frozen mango cubes<\/a>, which are available everywhere, even online<\/a>! I find that fresh ones are almost always sweeter, so I peel, cube, and freeze fresh mangos specifically for this smoothie. It takes about 4 hours in our freezer, so you can do it just before you make the jelly and have it all ready at the same time. Don’t forget to save some fresh mango for garnish though!<\/p>\n

    Mango juice & mango puree<\/h2>\n

    What\u2019s the difference between mango juice and mango puree? It\u2019s simply a question of thickness. Mango juice is usually thinner and mango puree is more thick. I tend to buy mango juice and make mango puree.<\/p>\n

    Nowadays mango juice is pretty much available at most grocery stores. They usually label it as mango nectar. If I see it, I get 100% Pure mango juice nectar by Phillippine brand because it\u2019s essentially mango, sugar, and some citric acids as a stabilizers. Other good choices: SunTropics in the fridge section, Goya, and Jumex. The key is to go for a juice that is pure mango, not a juice blend.<\/p>\n

    I like to make my own mango puree by blending up fresh mangos. Simply peel and dice your mangos then pop them in the blender or food processor and blend until smooth. You shouldn\u2019t need to any liquid to your blender or food processor because mangos are pretty juicy on their own. You could go out and buy mango puree – they sell it as a speciality item, frozen in some speciality food stores, but it\u2019s a lot easier to make your own.<\/p>\n

    Do you love ALL the mango things??<\/h2>\n