Mango (diced)
Mango Diced: A Key Ingredient in Caribbean Cocktails
When you are making Caribbean cocktails, there are a few common themes. You can pretty much create almost anything that you want and refer to it as an island drink as long as it contains a few staple ingredients. These include:
- Rum
- Fresh fruit
You should also consider using a blender as many of the cocktails are frozen – simply because it is so hot, this is a great way to cool down. Mango diced is commonly used in the frozen drinks as it offers a flavorful addition without overpowering the entire drink too much.
Common Cocktails with Mango Diced
If you plan on making a pina colada, you can incorporate mango diced into it very easily. While it won't be a traditional pina colada, it will certainly be a favorite amongst you and your friends once you've tried it. To get started, take the pitcher of your blender and fill it with ice. Now add a few shots of light rum, some pineapple chunks and some coconut cream. Once those are in, add some mango into the pitcher as well. Make sure you have plenty of cream inside to keep it liquidy. It should be the consistency of a milkshake when you are done blending.
If you're not a fan of coconut or pineapple, you can easily make many other drinks with the mango diced. Pairing it with rum is always a good idea because the two pair so well together. Should you decide to try something else, consider making a daiquiri. The steps are about the same as a pina colada, with the only difference that you are just adding rum and mango to the blender without the pineapple and coconut cream. You may need a little simple syrup to keep the consistency the way that you want it.
Experiment with some different fruits in combination with the mango diced. You may want to try bananas sliced or even berries quartered, too. The same goes for the rum – it is interchangeable, so see if you would like it better with vodka, dark rum or even tequila.
Where to Find Diced Mango
One of the easiest ways to find mango diced is to buy it already diced and in a can. You can usually find this in the canned fruit section of your grocery section. If it's not there, check in the Latin foods aisle and it will most certainly be there. If you still cannot locate it by the can, then you are going to have to buy it fresh and dice it yourself.
Make sure you peel the mango as you are not going to want to eat the skin – it is very bitter. Cut off 1 to 2 inch strips off the mango in all directions. You will hit the pit in the middle, so just be mindful of it as you are cutting through the fruit. Once you have your strips, you can start dicing them so that it is easier to blend for your cocktails.
