12 Sep Pickled Mangoes In Hawaii
Pickled mangos are a popular snack in many cultures. Hawaii’s version is called Li Hing Pickled Mango. Eaten as a snack or dessert, it’s crunchy, tart and tangy. Pickled mangoes are easy to make and very onolicious!
Oh man, there’s nothing like diving into a super cold jar of li hing pickled mangoes on a hot afternoon…
What Is Li Hing Pickled Mango?
Li Hing Pickled Mango are made from green (unripe) mangoes. The mangoes are peeled, sliced, and tossed with li hing mui and li hing powder. It’s then pickled for 24 hours in a solution of rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, sugar, and salt.
We eat Li Hing Pickled Mangoes chilled, as a snack or dessert. Crunchy (texture is key!), tart, and sweet…so much to love. These pickled mangoes are iconic for the red color/tint imparted by li hing powder. Pickled mangoes are sold throughout Hawaii. You can find them at local supermarkets, crack seed stores, farmers markets, and even at street stands on country roads (so tasty after a long drive) It’s an excellent treat that makes great use of our local Hawaii mangoes.
Mangoes In Hawaii
We have lots and lots of mangoes in Hawaii. Lucky locals have a mango tree (or two!) in their backyard. If you don’t have a mango tree at home, you’re bound to know a generous friend/cousin/neighbor with an abundance of mangoes.
Growing up in Hawaii, I took the abundance of mangoes for granted. It wasn’t until I moved to NYC for college that I realized that mangoes on the mainland were both expensive and not nearly as delicious. Make sure you eat as many mangoes as possible when in Hawaii! My sister ate so many mangoes as a kid that my grandma nicknamed her “big mango.”
You can find mangoes (when in season) at all the local supermarkets and farmers markets, like KCC Farmers Market and Kaka’ako Farmers Market.
Pickled Mangoes In Hawaii
Pickled mangoes are popular in Hawaii for two main reasons:
So Many Mangoes!
When mangoes are in season, they come fast and in huge volumes. Sometimes (if you can believe it), there are too many mangoes to eat! So we do things like make mango smoothies, we make mango bread with the overripe mangoes (like banana bread but 100x better), and we pickled the green (unripe) mangoes.
Hot Island, Cold Desserts
Hawaii is warm (sometimes too warm ^_^), and sunny. Because of this, we really embrace cold dishes and dessert. We love cold somen salad. We love shave ice. And we love li hing pickled mangoes. Li hing pickled mangoes are best devoured cold, cold, cold. You want them straight from the fridge. Or if you’re going to the beach, take a cooler and fill it up with ice packs. Sitting under the sun, eating ice cold li hing pickled mangoes…no wonder they call Hawaii paradise.
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