Here’s How Hawaii Celebrates Mango Season in Hawaii

Most people look forward to long days at the beach when summer comes, but people who live in Hawaii can’t wait for one thing: mango season.

Table of Contents

When is Mango Season in Hawaii

From May to October, the Aloha State has a special time of year. Mango trees are full of fruit and slowly start to turn purple and pink. Mangos fill the air with their sweet smell, and these juicy fruits are the main attraction at local events and farmer’s markets all over the islands.

The Honolulu Mango Jam last month was the start of this year’s mango craze. Kalapana and Kapena Kids, two well-known local bands, played on the main stage while people looked through the tents selling crafts, leis, clothes, and snacks. One of the event’s organizers, Maile Alau from Hawaii Maoli, talked about how the yellow fruit is a part of island culture.

Alau told KHON2 News, “Everyone in Hawaii finds a way to make the mango work for them. They use it to make things like salsa, aca bowls, jam, mochi, and mango bread.” “One happy little fruit brings together all the different cultures in Hawaii.” At the mango market, the local favorite was served fresh, dried, and pickled. The best parts of the festival were the mango recipe contest and the mango BBQ cook-off.

History

In the early 1800s, people from India and the Philippines brought the first mango plants to Hawaii. They did well in the warm, sunny climate. There are now many different kinds of mangos on the islands, and each has its own taste and texture. Some of the most popular kinds are Pirie, Haden, Rapoza, Gouveia, and Golden Glow, but if you ask anyone who lives in Hawaii, they will quickly tell you which one they like best.

How Hawaii celebrates mangos today

Mango trees are a popular choice for backyards in Hawaii because they give a lot of shade from the hot, tropical sun and produce a lot of delicious, red fruit. When summer comes, people who don’t have a tree expect their friends, neighbors, and coworkers to ask if the fruit is ready. Today, mango season brings a strong sense of family, community, and sharing, especially on Hawaii’s less populated islands. People will ask to pick fruit from the tree next door, and in exchange, they will make pickled green mangos to give to their neighbors

Most mature mango trees produce hundreds of mangos, which sometimes all ripen at the same time. This means that people who like fruit need to get creative. On a hot day, nothing beats a freshly picked, ice-cold mango. But locals also like mango in smoothies, aca bowls, salad dressing, preserves, chutney, marinades, sauces, fruit leather, and pies. Soaking mango in vinegar, sugar, and li hing mui makes a popular snack that is sour and crunchy (a sour and salty dried plum). Another popular change is to pickle green mango in soy sauce and vinegar, which makes the sweet and salty flavors explode. Most families also have their own recipe for moist mango bread that they say is the best.

The mango craze also shows up on seasonal menus in restaurants all over the islands. In Kailua-Kona, Fish Hopper is known for the many mango dishes they serve. Their fruity regional specialties include a sesame-crusted ahi salad with chunks of fresh mango and papaya, grilled teriyaki chicken with mango papaya relish, and macadamia nut mahi mahi topped with mango salsa.

How to take full advantage of mango season

If you can’t get enough of Hawaii’s favorite fruit, mango, Oahu will show off everything mango on Saturday, July 14, at the famous Moana Surfrider Hotel in Waikiki. The Annual Mangoes at the Moana festival, which is in its tenth year, has activities planned for the whole day. The courtyard by the water will be turned into an artesian market with a mango theme. People who like sweets will enjoy the baked goods and treats, but mango isn’t just for desserts. Guest chefs will be on stage to show how they make some of their favorite savory dishes with Hawaii’s famous fruit.

Mango lovers can take part in the event by tasting and judging homegrown fruit in the Best Mango Contest. The goal of the contest is to find the best mango on the island. As soon as it gets dark, the Mangolicious Sunset Reception really gets going. Celebrity chefs from Oahu’s hippest restaurants, such as Koko Head Cafe, MW Restaurant, and The Pig & The Lady, will offer their best dishes for the crowd to try, along with specialty cocktails made by well-known mixologists. Of course, all of the dishes will be creatively made with mango.

The owner of the popular brunch spot Koko Head Cafe, Chef Lee Anne Wong, loves the seasonal fruit and tries to use it as much as possible in her restaurant. She told Honolulu Magazine that the humidity, sunshine, growing methods, when the mangos are picked, how long they’ve been on the tree, and the soil all make them taste different. “This is amazing.” At this year’s event, Wong will cook some of her best mango dishes.

On July 21, locals and tourists on the Big Island join in the fun of the mango craze that has been going on all summer. The 10th Annual Mango Festival will be held in downtown Kona. It will focus on the mango varieties of the Big Island and feature agricultural seminars, local art, cooking demonstrations, and a pop-up bakery with treats from the area that you can take home. Visitors can also enter the amateur recipe contest with their favorite family recipes that use mangos. Throughout the day, local musicians and hula dancers will provide live entertainment at the free event. In the evening, organizers will ask for donations to attend a special benefit concert to help people affected by the Kilauea eruptions and animal rescuers.

Topic: Here’s How Hawaii Celebrates Mango Season in Hawaii

Join the “I Left My Heart in Hawaii” in Our Community on Facebook. A place where members can be honest with each other, share their stories and travel photos, and try out a new way to see Hawaii together.