One of the most important skills in the kitchen is how to use a knife. Each week, we introduce the skills necessary to accomplish 1 task in a cleaner, more efficient way. Today we focus on how to dice a mango.
Mangos are tricky! From their slipper skins, to their oddly shaped pits, cutting a mango is challenging. How can you possibly take this lopsided, oval(ish) fruit and dice it into mango squares? Fortunately, there’s a way to do it.
Always have a clean knife, cutting board, Y-peeler and a towel. Let’s go.
Step 1: Slice off the bottom of the mango (this is the side with the little belly button.) You want to do this first, because once you get the skin off the mango, it gets slippery.
Step 2: Use a Y-Peeler to peel off the skin. This will be really fast and easy if your mango is ripe! Make sure your mango is just a little but squishy when you squeeze it.
Step 3: Stand your mango on the bottom (flat side) and slice off edge. Make another slice using your knife to cut along the pit.
Step 4: Repeat on the other side.
Step 5: Lay your pit mango down flat and use your knife to slice along the pit on either side. The rest of the mango is for snacking. If you want to get the kids involved, bring them in for the last steps. You’ve already done the tricky part!
Step 6: Starting with the small slices, cut them in half. Then rotate 90 degrees and cut into small squares. Squares are the goal any time you dice mango. If you prefer mango strips (easier for snacking) then you don’t need to rotate.
Step 7: Take 1 of the large mango slices. They will already be stacked for you! Lay down on the flat side and make even slices along the back. Rotate 90 degrees and use your knife to make sure all of the slices are even. Then slice again to cut into squares.
Step 8: Repeat with the remaining mango, until you have a nice bunch of beautiful mango squares.
And there you go. Mango sure to impress everyone eating your Strawberry Mango Salad. Please note that since mango is slippery, I recommend using your knife to help you scoop up your mango slices. Those things can be hard to hold in your hands.
Now that you know the tricks, I’d love to hear how it goes for you. Let me know about your mango cutting experience in the comments.
Other knife skills you may enjoy:
