Many people know about golden yellow-colored mangoes that go with the famous Thai sticky rice. But you might have seen green mangoes in the local market, restaurant or on the street in Thailand. In this article, we will be covering types of Thai green mango and how you can enjoy them.
Table of Contents
Types of Thai green mango
Thais don’t just consume those golden yellow-colored mangoes, which tend to be sweet. In fact, there are many other types of mangoes which are green in color and they taste great!
What are green mangoes? Are they simply unripe/young mangoes? Not really, take Kiew Savoy as an example. Kiew Savoy mangoes are green in color and unlike Nam Dok Mai mangoes, Kiew Savoy remain green even after they are fully ripe and their meat turns yellow. Thais consume unripe/young Kiew Savoy mangoes for their firm, crisp and tart taste. But ripe Kiew Savoy can also be enjoyed as their taste turns sweet.
However there are also other types of mangoes where consumers prefer to consume them while they are unripe and green. For example, some mangoes like Raed Mango (or Rhino mango) and Kaew Mango are typically consumed unripe for their sour/tangy taste. Even when they ripen, they do not turn very sweet.
The above image shows color progression of raw and ripe Thai mangoes.
Thai sour mango
What are Thai sour mangoes? Thai sour mangoes, like mentioned above, are typically unripe or young mangoes. For example, Nam Dok Mai – which are typically consumed when they are fully ripe, sweet and yellow – these were also once sour when unripe. However some other species of mangoes like Raed and Kaew mangoes are commonly consumed young.
Some Thais prefer sour mangoes for their refreshing/tangy taste which usually come with a firm, crisp, crunchy texture which is very different from ripe mango. Sour mangoes can be consumed on their own, paired with seasoning/dips or turn into a dish.
Raed or Rhino mango is characterized by its small green “horn”. Thais typically consume this green mango young/raw.
How to enjoy the Thai green mango
Apart from eating Thai sour mangoes on their own (which can be very very sour), you can enjoy Thai sour mangoes with seasoning and dipping sauces.
Thai fruit dip (Nam Pla Waan): Primarily make of sugar and fish sauce, however Thais typically add in fish paste, dried shrimp and shallot to enhance the flavor as well!
Salt/Chili mix (Prik Glua): a simple mixture between salt, chili flakes and sugar – it is easy to make at home and can make any sour fruit better!
Lastly, You can also opt to turn sour Mango into a Thai green mango salad.
Should you try Thai sour or green mango?
If you have not tried Thai sour mango, give it a try so that you understand the variety of mangoes available in Thailand. It has its own appeal, when compared to its counterpart i.e. the yellow and sweet Thai mango. Each different sauce and seasoning will also create a unique experience. Moreover, the fact that it’s more on the sour side instead of sweet makes this a healthier choice for snacking. You can read more about health benefits of eating raw mangoes in this article.
Learn more about Thailand through our other interesting articles: