One year ago today, I returned from a fantastic vacation in Trinidad & Tobago. To mark this, I thought I’d share with you one very simple recipe for a snack that always brings me right back there… to the backyard of Rashid’s house, under the scorching sun, where I tasted it for the first time. His mother picked a few pomme cythere fruits right off a tree and quickly made it for us as a snack to take on our next excursion. How refreshing, crunchy, spicy! I’d never heard of chow before, but I was instantly hooked.
The best part about chow is its versatility. I’m told that it can be made with virtually any hard / slightly unripe fruit you have on hand. Mango and pineapple chow are current favourites, but I’m sure papaya, kiwi, plum, pear and even peach chow would be delicious, too.
P.S. My Trinidad & Tobago trip photos here.
Trini Mango Chow
- 2 unripe mangoes
- 1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- Hot sauce*, to taste (I use ~1/2 tsp)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* Note: I was incredibly lucky to receive a jar of homemade T&T hot sauce as a gift, which you can see in the images on this post. This stuff is amazing. Use whatever hot sauce you have on hand.
Peel the mangoes, and chop into bite-size pieces.
Place the mango pieces in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the minced garlic, cilantro, lemon juice, hot sauce, salt & pepper.
Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings, as desired.
Enjoy immediately.
Serves 4, as a snack.
Recipe slightly adapted from here.