Green Mangos

The kids love to climb the mango tree on our compound. The other day they suddenly remembered green mango sauce--we haven't eaten it since last year about this time. Green mangos are unripe mangos. They are basically inedible although sometimes I do see the kids eating them.

There are many different varieties of mangos. This is a different type which produces a lot more fruit than the one on our compound.

I was pleasantly surprised when my kids actually plucked the green mangos themselves and eagerly asked me to make sauce. I had to ask them to stop with one bowlful of mangos. They've never shown so much interest in the process before.

Here's the process: Peel the mangos; cut the fruit off the large oblong seed; boil; puree in blender; add lots of sugar and cinnamon. The result looks exactly like applesauce with a beautiful consistency. The taste is similar to a very tart applesauce.
We love to serve the mango sauce to unsuspecting dinner guests and have them guess what it's made from. The kids usually can't contain their excitement and end up blurting it out before the guest has time to properly guess. The guest is always shocked that it's mangos because ripe mangos are bright orange and very sweet. A Canadian chef was with us tonight and we managed to stump him.
Apples are quite expensive in Nigeria. I feel like I'm splurging if I buy them. Green mango sauce is a very passable alternative to applesauce. In fact, I shouldn't even call it an 'alternative'; it's simply a delicious side dish in its own right.