Gosh, it’s been AGES since I had Shoyu Mango, a snack I used to love as a kid. Just saying the name, let alone looking at it makes my mouth water. The way I remember making this “back in the day” was just shoyu and vinegar, using semi-ripe mangoes. I’ve also seen this robust/salty/sour “sauce” used in the same fashion with tangerine wedges and, believe it or not, Vienna Sausage straight out of the can. Whoah!
Of course things are different now as an adult – especially eating habits – making shoyu or even pickled mango, today, something I really have to be in the mood for.
The Shibata Mango tree at mom’s place is a late-bloomer this year, with matured, fully-grown fruit only now reaching their harvesting stage.
While I much prefer a sweet Hayden or Pirie for eating plain at fully-ripe stage, Shibata mangoes are perfect for pickled mango when still green due to their larger size, tangy flavor and fibrous flesh.
(green) Full-grown Shibata Mangoes
Notice there’s a few Shibata here that outsize the 4-3/4″ diameter Kikaida DVD next to it. There’s been some come off that same tree in the past that measured closer to 7″, which perhaps a Godzilla DVD would best be suited for THAT size comparison. lol
Also notice a distinct one-sided curved shape the Shibata have.
Here’s what one of those larger ones looks like in cross-cut view…
(green) Shibata mango, cross-cut view
This Shoyu Mango dish was actually a spin-off project to pickled mango that I had been preparing the other day, using a batch of Shibata I recently harvested. While peeling and slicing them, I noticed a couple fruits were at the perfect semi-ripe stage, so those were separated and used for the Shoyu Mango…
Those darker yellow slices are pefect for Shoyu Mango, so I separated those into another bowl
Since I had all the ingredients and cooking utensils out and ready to go, I figured go for it. As mentioned earlier, the recipe I remember from the “old school” was simply shoyu and vinegar. But that was then and this is now.
Based on measuring carefully, and taste-testing to my current personal preference, this is what I came up with on the Shoyu Mango dish I’m presenting here today…
Shoyu Mango
1 or 2 Semi-ripe (more ripe than green) Mango (Shibata shown), sliced in bite size strips
1/2 cup Rice Vinegar
1 cup Shoyu (I used Aloha brand)
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
Heat vinegar, shoyu and sugar in pot to dissolve sugar and combine flavors, then let cool. Pour in a serving bowl with the sliced mango and serve.
The reason I added sugar was to counter the tartness of the Shibata, which helped it quite a bit. Of course, that’s just my taste buds. If you you like it more salty, acidic or sweet, adjust the ratio accordingly. Some folks also add black pepper and/or Hawaiian chili pepper, and God knows what else, but I think simple is best.
Shoyu Mango
How did it taste? Pretty much how I remember it as a kid. Sweet, sour, salty and bold. Very bold. That’s why I say you have to be in the mood for it. To be honest, it kinda’ hit me like a brick wall. It’s good, don’t get me wrong, but I just wasn’t ready for the kick this thing’s got!
If you have childhood memories of Shoyu Mango or a your own recipe you’d like to share, buss ‘em out cuz!
In a post coming soon, its big brother (or big sister, however you wanna’ look at it), Pickled Mango!
A jar of Pickled Mango just made, that still needs to soak for a few days
Related Links:
• Mayo’ Mango Madness
• Mango Bruschetta
• Takin’ it back to the old school… (external blog site)
16 comments
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July 23, 2008 at 10:31 pm
achong
wow, this really brings back memories, like in the 50’s and 60’s. only thing all we had was common mangos, back in those days very little hayden and piere mangos. what you call semi ripe, we would call half ripe. never had shibata mangos, so i cannot compare. the common mangos , if i remember right was tart with a sweet tinge to it. the shoyu sauce was often done without measurements and this and that for personal taste, but it was so ono. your site is outstanding, really like your subject matter, and thankyou for such clear fotos
July 23, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Napua
OMG, my favorite! We used to eat this all summer long small keed time at my papa’s house. Only ting different is we used to add pepper to the shoyu and vinegar.
I love reading yoah blog, brah!
July 23, 2008 at 11:18 pm
kat
drooling over here….
July 24, 2008 at 12:22 am
Doodoolicious
sounds salty.
July 24, 2008 at 4:48 am
Mokihana
OMG. All yoa fault I get drool all ova my keyboard!
Da color! Da flavor, alla way back to small kid time. We had two mango trees in our yard, and how I miss them….
July 25, 2008 at 5:26 am
jodi
…ah, man. I remember this. My grandpa had about six haydens in his back yard and we’d go out with the mango-picker and make shoyu mango. I liked pepper too.
I like pickled mango more. Bring on the next post.
July 25, 2008 at 6:34 am
lindy
My mouth is watering !!! i love shoyu mango too !!! OMG …now i have a craving !!
July 26, 2008 at 4:09 am
pomai
All your comments (sincerest mahalo for that!) reflect what I’ve heard from the guys in the office when they read this post. It’s interesting how just saying “Shoyu Mango” can make you salivate, especially when you remember how it tasted as a kid.
DDL, you’re probably the only one here (so far) who hasn’t had this yet, and I have to honestly say, if you try this as an adult, having not had it ingrained in your collective memory from childhood, you’ll probably find quite weird, if not worse. It is indeed salty, but the mango does tame that a bit. Then again, if you’re a shoyu fanatic, this will be right up your alley!
July 26, 2008 at 8:17 pm
Diner A
I have been jonesin for pickled mango all summer until my neighbor had given me some pickled mango. It hit the spot just right and now I should be good till next summer.
Since you gave me a few of your mangos I had to do the Shoyu version, and badoosh, instant flashbacks of childhood memories. We never used to cook the stuff before dropping in the mangos and it works just as fine.
July 26, 2008 at 9:17 pm
pomai
Diner A, nice link. Is that your home page? lol
FYI, I didn’t cook the mangoes. They’re just sitting sliced fresh and cold in a stainless steel bowl (in that photo).
Hope you folks make it to Forty Niner this weekend!
July 26, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Diner A
Might not, baby luau today.
I’ll find out who catered, take a few pics and give a rating.
July 26, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Diner A
Sorry, what I meant was I did not heat up the stuff (shoyu, vinegar, sugar) to melt and combine flavors.
July 29, 2008 at 6:59 pm
manju
Yummm… never tried this… looking forward to your pickled mango post too!
August 5, 2008 at 10:50 pm
Nate
You are really making my mouth water.
I remember when we ate shoyu mango, I’d get the seed and scrape all the flesh off with my teeth, leaving these hairs on the seed. Then I’d soak up the shoyu with the seed hairs and suck suck suck it off the sead.
Ho, da saliva is flowin’ now!
August 8, 2008 at 3:51 am
cat
I just made this tonight cause I found lots of green mango at the store. (Kalihi transplant to Kansas) I don’t heat up my sauce either. I also add tabasco sauce and some ponzu sauce…or I get a little fancy, I add li hing powder. But the simple is still my favorite. It’s sitting in the icebox right now soaking up the ono juice.
Stuff like this keeps me tied to my local roots.
January 29, 2009 at 12:54 pm
cre808
Oh, that looks so ono. We used to eat green Chinese mangoes with shoyu and pepper. That’s ono, too!!