Some people think a mango is a mango. For the rest of us, there is Mango Mania. This private gathering of mango aficionados celebrates the first ripe fruit of the year. We’re all even more jazzed up about mangos than usual this year. As I float around the party, everyone’s talking about bumper crops and how the East Coast has had ripe mangos for a month, but our fruit are only beginning to ripen on the Gulf Coast. Ask anyone their favorite variety and their eyes light up. These are my people.
Bartenders serve up mango daiquiris, mango ginger mojitos, and even a home-brewed mango beer. Then there’s the food, an epic mango feast that’s also a recipe contest.
It’s proof that mangos are incredibly versatile and magical in every dish. I fill my plate with tiny pinches of salads and bite-sized offerings, but there’s no way to fit them all. Round two is a must. Then there’s worst/best part: Dessert. 
I swoon over every single one. Mango coma sets in. 
Ballots are cast. Tiki torches are lit. The Urban Gypsies roam the party playing tropical sing-alongs. Out in Lynne’s grove, people wander through the mango labyrinth, stopping in awe of the Lancantilla, the biggest mango you’ll ever see. I hear chuckles at the squirrel protection on her prized fruit. Chairs are moved to make room for dancing under the big tent, but most people are too full of mango to move.
Everyone quiets down when Lynne comes out in her mango queen attire (channeling Effie Trinket of The Hunger Games) to announce the winners. First she makes everyone recite her favorite mango song.
Is this a mango cult? Do I need an intervention?
Maybe. You’ll find me here, in my kitchen filled with mangos, working on some recipes to lure you in, too.
May I please be your assistant and attend next year?
Yes, especially if you’re providing all the mangos again!
Wow! I am drooling! That is a feast of the gods for sure!
It really was! I was overwhelmed by all the amazing food this year. I’m trying to decide which recipes to work on for the blog. I’m afraid it would take me all summer to get through my favorites.
WOW, I might OD on mango if I went there ……(can you OD on mango? hmmm….I will ponder that while eating some of my glens)
Apparently not because I’m still here!
I simply adore mangoes and I wish we had an event like this here in the Sarasota area! Who cares if it’s “cultish” — just enjoy every bite (but maybe stay away from chanting). 🙂
I can’t help my obsession but I’ll try not to chant or kneel at the altar of mangos. Here are some other mango events coming up: Redlands Summer Fruit Festival (at the Fruit & Spice Park) is June 23 & 24. Mango Mania in Cape Coral is July 14 & 15. And the biggest mango event of the year is The International Mango Festival at Fairchild Gardens is July 14 & 15. Hope you get your hands on some good ones this summer, Nicole!
I can’t wait to see what you come up with! I need some new recipes to try for next year. My mangos are almost done. I am mangoed out this year. My tree got blown over in the last hurricane but I had the most mangos ever. Go figure. Love your posts
Hey Carmen,
So glad you had a good crop despite what the hurricane did to your tree. Our earliest tree is just beginning to ripen, so we’ve got months of mangos to go. I’ve got so many recipes lined up. I’ll have you ready for next year. 🙂
I am having a hard time accepting that it will be another year for the next Mango Mania extravaganza. Back north in central PA they don’t get the thrill of the mango. Maybe you and Lynne can bring the show on the road, like a super-cool Johnnie Mangoseed show! Great descriptions and photos; thanks!
It was great to see you again, Anita. I loved all the winning recipes this year. I already made the winning salad and I’ll be posting it here soon. I’d love to see that show on the road. I already stuff my suitcase with mangos everywhere I go like Johnnie Mangoseed. Enjoy summer in PA!
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