Mango is a delicious tropical fruit that is loved for its sweet, juicy flesh and unique flavor. It’s no wonder why mango is often used in smoothies, desserts, salsas, and other dishes. When using mango in recipes or eating it fresh, it’s nice to pair it with fruits that complement its flavor. Certain fruits can enhance the sweetness of mango, contrast with its tropical taste, or add texture. Here we will explore the best fruits that go well with mango and why they make good combinations.
Fruits That Enhance the Sweetness of Mango
Some fruits have a very sweet, ripe flavor that mimics and builds upon the natural sweetness of mango. These fruits make excellent partners for fresh mango slices, mango salsa, or mango-based desserts.
Peach
Peach is a stone fruit with a soft, juicy texture and sweet, floral flavor. When combined with mango, the sweet tastes of peach and mango really bring out the best in each other. Try adding fresh peach slices to a mango fruit salad or blending peach into a mango smoothie. The peach provides an extra sugar kick that enhances the ripe, candylike notes of mango.
Papaya
Papaya is another tropical fruit like mango that offers a very sweet, mellow flavor. Mixing papaya and mango creates a double dose of tropical sweetness. The soft, butter-like texture of papaya also balances out the juicy flesh of mango. Add papaya chunks to a fresh mango salsa or use both in a sweet mango-papaya jam.
Ripe Pineapple
When perfectly ripe, pineapple has an intensely sweet and aromatic flavor. Combining ripe pineapple with mango showcases two super sweet tropical fruits in one dish. The pairing is delicious in fruit salads, smoothies, chutneys, and upside down cakes. Pineapple enhances the ripe fruit flavors of mango and gives it an extra tropical flair.
Fruits That Contrast with Mango’s Tropical Taste
Other fruits have flavors that contrast nicely with the tropical mango. These fruits provide a tangy, tart, or cooling effect that balances out the rich, ripened flavor of mango.
Raspberries
Tart raspberries offer the perfect contrasting flavor to sweet mango. Raspberries have a sharp, berry-like taste that cuts through the fruitiness of mango in a pleasant way. Mix raspberries into mango yogurt, blend into smoothies, or swirl raspberry coulis onto mango cheesecake for a tangy-sweet duo.
Blackberries
Like raspberries, blackberries also contrast mango’s flavor thanks to their unique sharpness. The deep, wine-like taste of blackberries balances the tropical notes of mango. Try combining blackberries and mango in a salsa with jalapeno for spicy-sweet-tart dish. Or make a colorful summer salad with mango chunks and fresh blackberries.
Grapefruit
With its bright, citrusy flavor, grapefruit makes an invigorating partner for rich mango. The tangy tartness helps tone down the sweetness of mango and gives it a fresh finish. For a nutrient-packed start to the day, combine mango and grapefruit sections in a morning fruit salad. You can also use grapefruit juice in place of water when making mango smoothies.
Fruits That Add Texture Contrast to Mango
Some fruits contrast the soft, pulpy texture of mango flesh with their crunchy or firm textures. This provides a nice added dimension to mango dishes.
Apples
The crisp, juicy crunch of apples offers texture that contrasts lush mango. Apples also provide a subtle sweet-tart flavor. Diced apples can be mixed into mango salsa or fruit salad for a crunchy inclusion. Thin apple slices layered with mango slices make a pretty and dynamic fruit tart or pie filling.
Pomegranate Seeds
Pomegranate seeds provide pops of juicy crunch when paired with the softness of mango. Their jewel-tone red color also makes a beautiful garnish. Try sprinkling pomegranate seeds over mango cheesecake or panna cotta. Or fold them into a fruit salsa along with mango chunks, red onion, and lime juice for flavor and textural intrigue.
Green Grapes
The firm, snappy bites of green grapes contrast beautifully with mango’s yielding texture. Grapes have just a subtle sweetness that doesn’t overpower mango flavor. For a simple side, you can toss mango chunks with green grapes, nuts, and a drizzle of citrus dressing. Or skewer alternating pieces of mango and green grapes for a fresh fruit kabob.
Best Fruits to Pair with Mango by Flavor Profile
If you want to highlight certain characteristics of mangoes, here are the fruits that pair best by flavor profile:
To enhance mango’s natural sweetness: Peaches, papaya, ripe pineapple
For a tart contrast to mango’s tropical flavor: Raspberries, blackberries, grapefruit
To add textural contrast: Apples, pomegranate seeds, green grapes
Complementary Combinations for Mango Desserts
Mango is a wonderful addition to many types of desserts. Certain fruits pair particularly well with mango in sweet treats and can take them to the next level.
Mango Cheesecake
For mango cheesecake, decorate the top with kiwi, raspberries, and mint leaves. The pretty green kiwi and red raspberries provide color contrast, while the raspberries also contribute a tangy flavor. Mint adds a fresh finishing touch.
Mango Crumble
Bake a mango crumble with blueberries mixed into the filling. The blueberries contrast the mango with their petite size and burst of tart-sweet juice. They also blend beautifully with the crumble topping.
Mango Ice Cream
Swirl strawberry or raspberry sorbet into mango ice cream for fruit on fruit flavor. The berry sorbet also contributes texture from the ice crystals. Or add a ripple of raspberry puree for a pretty pink contrast.
Mango Panna Cotta
Serve mango panna cotta topped with a tropical medley of kiwi, pineapple, and papaya. The mix of crunchy and soft fruits complements the lush mango flavor and silky panna cotta texture.
Savory Mango Dishes
Mango can be used in savory preparations as well. Certain fruits add complementary flavors and textures when paired with mango in savory recipes:
Mango Salsa
Mix mango chunks with pineapple, jicama, cucumber, and red onion for a vibrant salsa with multiple textures. Jicama and cucumber provide crunchy crispness, pineapple extra tropical fruitiness, and red onion a bit of sharp bite to contrast the mango.
Mango Chutney
Cook up a mango chutney with ginger, lime, raisins, and apples. The apples contribute mild sweetness and chunks of firm texture. Raisins add chew, ginger spice, and lime bright acidic contrast.
Mango Salad
Toss sweet mango chunks with mixed greens, goat cheese crumbles, and tart dried cranberries. The cranberries provide tangy contrast to the mango, while the goat cheese adds creamy richness.
Tips for Selecting Mangoes
To get the best fruit pairing experience, start with ripe, delicious mangoes. Here are a few tips for picking ripe mangoes:
– Choose mangoes that feel heavy for their size with tight, smooth skin. Avoid mangoes with spots, bruises, or wrinkled skin.
– Light green mangoes are more firm and tangy. Golden yellow mangoes with reddish blush are ripe and sweet.
– Gently press the mango. It should have a slight give when ripe. Too firm means it’s underripe, while too soft indicates an overripe mango.
– Smell the stem end of the mango. It should have a sweet, floral fragrance.
– Let firm mangoes ripen at room temperature until the skin color changes to golden yellow.
– Once ripe, store mangoes in the refrigerator to slow further ripening.
Serving Suggestions for Mango and Fruit
There are so many delicious ways to serve mango with complementary fruits:
– Fresh fruit salads
– Fruit skewers or kabobs
– Tropical breakfast bowls with mango, pineapple, and banana
– Fruit salsas with mango, peach, and jicama
– Smoothies and smoothie bowls
– Yogurt parfaits layered with mango and berries
– Tarts or galettes with mango and stone fruits
– Mango crumbles, crisps, or pies with contrasting fruits
– Mango ice cream or panna cotta topped with fruit
– Savory mango chutneys, salsas, and salads
The possibilities are endless! Any combination of mango with fruits like peach, pineapple, papaya, berries, melon, apple, grapefruit, or kiwi is sure to provide a delightful fruit flavor experience. Experiment with different fruit pairings to highlight mango’s tropical essence and sweet ripeness.
Conclusion
Mango is one of the most beloved fruits worldwide thanks to its incredible sweetness, exotic aroma, and silky texture. When paired thoughtfully with other fruits, mango’s taste and appeal can be enhanced even further. Choose fruits like peach, papaya, and pineapple to mirror and amplify mango’s sweetness. For contrast, turn to raspberries, grapefruit, apples, or pomegranates. Mix and match mango with complementary fruits to create delicious desserts, salsas, salads, and more. With so many options for fruit pairings, mango can be incorporated into meals and treats year-round.