Right Stuff: Honey mangos

It’s the most famous mango you’ve never heard of.

Honey mangos are small golden oblongs—about half the size of traditional mangos—with smooth, velvety flesh and a couple of secrets.

Secret No. 1: They’re typically sweeter and more succulent than other mango varieties.

Secret No. 2: You can remove their delicate skin with a vegetable peeler. And slicing off pieces around the thin oval pit is easier than removing the sometimes-fibrous flesh around an ordinary mango pit.

If you don’t see honey mangoes—they’re also called Champagne, Manila, or Ataulfo—at your local market, try a grocer like Whole Foods.

Can’t find honeys? No worries.

All mango varieties are delish. And just one cup chopped delivers around 65 percent of a day’s vitamin C, 20 percent of a day’s folate, 10 percent of a day’s vitamin A, 5 percent of a day’s potassium, and 3 grams of fiber, all for 100 calories.

That’s a pretty sweet deal.

You’ll know your honey mango is ripe when the skin turns deep golden yellow and starts to wrinkle just slightly. It will yield to a gentle squeeze, and the sweet aroma from the stem end may be the best thing you’ll smell all day.

Buy a few—or a case—to save yourself the hassle of running back to the store after you taste your first one.

Peak season is March to June.

What? You’re still home?

mango.org (National Mango Board)