It’s mango season, and it’s delicious.

A few years ago, I ate my first mango. Ever since then, I’ve been hooked. Trouble is, it’s difficult to find good mangoes in Minnesota during most of the year. They tend to either ripen poorly or be quite stringy. That’s not how I like my mangoes. I want ’em soft and juicy, full of mango flavor not mango fiber. They don’t even need to be too sweet; in fact, I’m not fond of cloyingly sweet mangoes.

This time of year, stores in Minnesota begin to stock my favorite readily-available variety of mango, the ataulfo. This golden-yellow variety is smaller than the more common redish-green varieties seen in stores year-round. It has softer flesh and better flavor, too. If you find ripe (soft) ataulfo specimens in a local store, I recommend that you give one a try.

I discovered the joy of mangoes in one of my periodic trials of new-to-me foods. I wonder what else I haven’t yet tried that is as good as or better than a mango?