perfection worth chasing
I'd never had an Ataulfo mango before, but they were ripe (unlike the standard green footballs at the local supermarket) and on sale 2 for $3. They were fairly small to downright tiny and had an appealingly soft yellow skin - little tender golden runts that fit snugly in the palms of my hands. After getting them home without too much brutal jostling, I peeled them and cut the slippery, vivid flesh away from the fibrous pit.
I did not know that they would taste so amazing.
Bright, juicy insides like a rich, satiny orange creamsicle, but a million times better, and with just a whisper of tartness. (This isn't necessarily a great way to describe them, as I personally loathe orange creamsicles, but it captures the lovely sweet-acidic flavor and the lucious mouthfeel pretty well.) I used two of them in a fresh salsa for tacos last week, then promptly went back to the store and bought another pair for snacking. Good lord, I mean...this is ambrosia. This is what a winged Johnny Depp (or Scarlett Johansson - or in my case, maybe David Bowie) would feed you in heaven as you floated on a cloud made of marshmallow fluff and Maine Coon kittens. This is an incomprehensibly delicious substance. The absolute tastiest fruit I have ever put in my mouth, and I never want to stop. Especially since the season ends in July...