There are tons of ripe mangoes at the markets these days. In local Batangas markets, great looking medium sized “native†mangoes were just PHP35 a kilo a few days ago (Indian mangoes can be had for PHP8 per kilo if you bargain well). I bought several kilos to see if I could make some nice ripe mango shakes for the long holiday weekend and several guests who would be out with us at the beach. I am always surprised at how pushy waiters at hotels and good restaurants are about fruit shakes when you sit down for a meal and I think I have figured out why…the margins or profits on a fruit shake are incredibly LARGE, something on the order of a Starbucks Coffee or Tea… What exactly would constitute an ideal ripe mango shake? I thought I should tackle this before I actually pulled out my heavy duty blender and started experimenting…
A perfect mango shake for Marketman should have an intense fresh mango flavor and perfume, possess an incredibly deep natural color, have the right consistency (a bit thick at the start, a bit thinner as the ice melts), just the right amount of sweetness and be ice cold on arrival. 
Sounds simple but it is surprising how many establishments just cannot seem to get this drink right. Here are some of the classic flaws… shortcut use of canned mango juice to augment just a scant slice or two of fresh mango, unripe or disgusting tasting blemished mangoes are used, too much sugar, hot fruit, lousy blender, etc. all contribute to a sub-standard end product. I made several batches of juice last week and I was extremely happy with my later attempts.
To make approximately 4 glasses of mango juice. Scoop out the flesh of 4 perfectly ripe and fragrant mangoes. The native ones were superb precisely because of their intensely yellow orange flesh and their almost organic, all natural provenance. Place them in a bowl in the fridge to chill completely. Next make some sugar water by dissolving 1 cup of sugar in ½ cup of water over low heat. 
Allow this mixture to cool. To make, pull out a really good blender. I use a high powered Waring blender, and I do find that cheaper alternatives result in an inferior blend. Pile in the flesh of four mangoes, lots of ice, about 1/4 or less of your sugar water and some cold water (1/4 cup to start) and blitz away. Test the mixture for thickness and adjust by adding sugared water or water as you please. The resulting shakes were absolutely superb. The champagne flute with juice up top was a first attempt that scored 8.8/10.0 but the real winner was the next day when the mangoes had ripened just a touch more and the resulting shakes were deep yellow orange and smelled like a mango, had the right consistency, sweetness and possessed the ability to give you brain freeze if you sipped it too fast (glass down at the bottom).
Some further thoughts… if you want a slight variation, add just a touch of lime juice to brighten the drink. Always garnish with mango or mint to give it extra oomph. 
I like to use champagne flutes to serve this drink as it makes it special and you don’t get too much as it can be quite rich and filling. I would rather have a flute of superb mango shake than a huge glass of a watery mango water. Also, for breakfast, consider a thicker alternative served in a small low glass…kind of like having a cold blended fresh mango as a start to your breakfast meal…yum. Total cost of these shakes? Perhaps just 10-12 pesos each. Yet they easily cost PHP100 at a restaurant or hotel. Now I know what drink I will be pushing if I ever open a restaurant. At least mine will be properly made from fresh mangoes whenever possible…
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That is so true MM, other establishments just put a couple of slices of mangoes in their shake and you really don’t get that satisfying flavor. My dad bought a “kaing” of mangoes (still green) a couple of weeks ago for 350-400 pesos which is 20++ kilos total, really cheap and I did not expect it to taste good and ripe well but it did and they all ripened almost the same time, so I did mango shake every day just to save the mangoes from over ripening, I also made mango cake and the rest I made mango jam, you should try to make mango jam MM. . . .mmmmm. . . it’s my favorite fruit
I logged on this morning before breakfast and this post on mangoes has just made my day! What a way to start the day kahit na pictures lang. Mangoes especially Philippine ones are my favourite fruit and I can eat these everyday without getting sawa.Philippines is a Paradise on Earth when it comes to the abundance in fresh produce eg. fruits,vegies,gorgeous seafoods(re.your recent posts)etc. I will definitely try to make your mango shake when I get back from the market today unfortunately, it won’t be as delicious as your Pinoy native mangoes. Thanks for sharing!
I believe the secret of those delicious shakes they have all over Boracay is the inclusion of (horror of horrors!) powdered milk for thicker consistency.
When I was in a well-known resort in Davao, you could always predict what fresh fruit shake they would serve the next day by what fruit was left on the buffet table the night before. :) And unfortunately, very seldom left were the mangoes.
Nice blender!
weird but fun “drink” sampled at Seven Corners (Crowne Plaza)recently: mango puree in a shot glass with a curry kick. wow. Ok, MM when will you post about the perfect green mango shake (an equally amazing summer drink easily botched by the use of too-sour mangoes, too much sugar or too much crushed ice)?
anna, funny you should ask. I had intended to perfect the green mango shake last week but there was too much going on in the kitchen and my mangoes RIPENED before I could get to the shakes…I did do a pineapple shake as well…up soon. bogchief…if you are looking for a blender…this Waring is great…it actually blends as opposed to some of the others that don’t have enough power! Anne, if I were to be picky, leftover fruit is a bad choice as much of it starts to deteriorate a half hour or so after cutting…so old mangoes taste differently from new ones…but if they were frozen, it might help them a bit…aridelros,yup fruit shakes can be fooled with by adding all kinds of stuff…use your imagination and get some new delicious variations!
barnone, the philippines has THE BEST mangoes in the world. we should be proud of this.
[quote]acidboy says:
barnone, the philippines has THE BEST mangoes in the world. we should be proud of this.[/quote]
indeed!
I would kill for a mango shake right about now. And only from the Phillipines please! God I miss them!
anna gan>>> so, you liked that mango coco curry shot, yeah it sounds weird but the flavor is great and really worth trying, it’s very easy to make, I was working for the seafood salad station at 7 corners before, it is just a mixture of mangoes orange juice coconut juice and meat plus curry powder. . .
Met a Thai years ago who claimed they grow the best tropical fruits and stands aside only for Manila mangoes. Have just recently been tasting Brazilian mangoes (the size of American football) which only confirms my belief that it is not chauvinism to be proud of our mangoes. Only Philippine mango nectar reaches us here (Toronto), alas. I serve them topped with Alizé, a passion fruit liqueur and introduce it as “Passionate mango.â€
Amen to that, acidboy!
nothing beats Philippine mangoes. the BEST indeed, bay_leaf!
MM, you should try the mango shake from Dizon’s Farms (they have a stall in front of Robinson’s-Ermita supermarket) for P25 small /P35 large, it’s perhaps the nearest best thing to heaven. Theirs is very thick and has no crushed ice. you should try it, and rate it to see if it’s near to yours.
ohhh now am here in south of france i cant find that phil mangoes
they sell in athens for 8 euro a kilo mahal ano? but hey its real philippine mangoes….
i just realized we dont have blender at the boat. better put that on my shopping list.
the other day i drank all of the shake i made with four mangoes. im so greedy.
Marketman, have you tried the Paradise Mango Rum Liqueur? It’s a local product, quite attractively packaged in a big, Bailey’s-type bottle and then encased in a tin can. I’m sure it would be delish mixed with cocktails, reduced and poured over ice cream or crepes, etc…which, in fact, the accompanying recipe booklet sugggests. But I just don’t have the patience to do all that, so I drink it chilled, straight up. It’s a yummy way to get intoxicated. ;-)
Katrina, I think I have actually tried Paradise Mango Rum Liqeur but I cant recall where…I remember the packaging actually. Sha, PHP550 a KILO??? That’s nearly 10x the Manila price…I guess they have to fly it there… Juls, I have had the Dizon shake and it is good value as far as I am concerned. However, often it uses pre-frozen fruit that was just a day too ripe or didn’t sell I think. It can be great or a little past its prime. But not bad for the price. And yes, I agree with all…we must have the best mangoes. I have had Indian (as in from India), Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, Philippine, Australian, Mexican, Caribbean and South American mangoes and I vote for our own!
i know we are all proud of our mangoes to the point of saying philippine mangoes are the best in the world, and indeed they are far superior to most mango varieties, whether from hawaii, mexico or wherever, but until i go to india and try a proper indian mango i think i will reserve judgment on the absolute superiority of our mangoes. because the Indians sound just like us when they talk about THEIR mangoes (the best in the world etc). and let’s not forget that mangoes originally came from india.
so i’m actually quite curious. i KNOW it is hard to imagine a mango better than a perfectly ripe ice cold Philippine mango, but just the same i would like to try an indian mango in India. It’s one of the first things i will do if i ever make the trek to the subcontinent.
In mexico btw, they call superior mangoes there “mango de manila”.
gonzo, I agree applying the “best in the world” moniker is dangerous… but I did spend a few weeks in India (possibly not during the right season) and their ripe mangoes weren’t even close in my opinion…but that’s just me…
i looove fruit shakes, especially avocado, melon and mango.
unfortunately po, i still don’t know how to cook (THAT well) so i could only envy you and salivate over those wonderful pictures!
World’s Sweetest Fruit
What can be considered as the world’s sweetest mango is produced in the island province of Guimaras. While other countries have different varieties of the tropical mango (Mangifera indica), none of them tastes like the superbly delicious Guimaras mango, which is a variety of the popular Carabao Mango (Manginera indica).
In 1995, the Guinness Book of World records listed the Carabao Mango as the sweetest fruit in the world. In the Philippines, mango ranks third among fruit crops in production, next to banana and pineapple. The country supplies mangoes to Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and recently the United States. In 1995, the Philippines produced 432,322 metric tons of mangoes, with an average production of 6.35 metric tons per hectare and 250 kilograms per tree from a total production area of 68,056 hectares.
I’ve been making mango shakes for the past few weeks after a trip to Bohol. Frozen mango cubes from a kaing of mangoes I bought during holy week were great in this shake. You’re right about the the margin of profit for these shakes. A resort in Panglao Island, Bohol, charged Php 240 (tax included) for their shakes. It was not even served in a big glass, just a regular 8 oz glass. Strangely, they did not put the prices of their beverages in their menu. Huwat? Buti na lang masarap siya… but how can you go wrong with a shake?
I loove mango period, be it as a fruit shake; or eaten in chunks after i freeze them for a bit; be it a green mango or indian mango with bagoong; i’ll have it anyway at anytime! Back in my elementary days, after school there’s a store/bakery that i go to everyday to buy P3-5 pesos worth of mango shake, although it’s not entirely pure mango ofcourse, but back then when you’re in 4th grade you’re not too particular on how should a real mango shake would taste like, well i guess i didn’t mind it as much, as long as i can taste some “mango flavour” in it it’s all good when you’re hungry! I always have mango shake with spanish bread or two, that’s my favourite merienda after class while waiting for our service!
By the way, i also enjoy mango shake at Mango Brutus, and again I don’t know if they’re the real macoy or what, are they still around?
I have read your column in the internet. I am an elementary grades teacher and come October 4, our district shall hold a Skills-o-rama competetion. I shall coach on fresh fruit shake. Mangoes now are not in season here in our place. I should want recepes other than mangoes. How about a guava shake? guavas are in season here. Please send me a recipe. Thanks
hallo,
i just need an information. it is possible to get the fresh mango from the philippines,bec, we are planning with my husband to invest the mango here in slovenia……
rubs
ruby, yes there are lots of fresh mangoes in the Philippines, but I amnot sure you can export them to slovenia, and I do not understand what you mean by investing mangoes in slovenia, ut if you mean to plant or grow them, I don’t think the weather would suit them.
been in bankok for 3 years and honestly, the mangoes here are nothing compared to the taste of the philippine manga. i really like the ripe ones, prepared in whatever way. and ms. linda is right, pictures pa lang busog ka na. i miss the our national fruit! thai mangoes are bland (actually all their fruits here are bland para sa akin compared to our homegrown fruits–i’m not kidding!). visited your page since i’m searching for pictures for a presentation. thanks for this page
Long live the Philippine Mango! We’re (Filipinos) aren’t the only ones claiming the Fil Mango is the best in the world. My husband is Dutch, is a mango critic – RP mango is the absolute winner.
Have tried mangoes from Brazil, Thailand, Pakistan, India … Pakistan comes closest but they are too thready … the RP Mango is DA BEST!!! What would life be without our mango?! Other variations to mango shake are with papaya and pineapple. Would you have a mango crepe recipe? We’re just mad about mango!
I’ve just made a startling discovery – the best kilawin is made from the gata of green mango instead of kalamansi.
Long live the Philippine mango!!
Hi MM, the frequency of mango discussion proves how much beloved this fruit is. I have tried mangoes from Bangkok, India, US, Mexican, Hawaiian. To Gonzo who reserves judgment on Indian mangoes: I was “fortunate” to have been in Kolkota at the height of their mango season. A dear friend brought us to a “local”, i.e. Hindu/Filipino dinner where the host prepped us with the piece de resistance: their local mango. My verdict? Mangoes from India are sweet but watery. If I remember the flesh is pretty much of the same ratio as the fiber (as opposed to yellow Filipino mangoes being more fleshy than fibrous with the juice being more “syrupy” than watery). Thai mangoes can NEVER ever be in the same category as Filipino, or even Indian mango–considering they do produce a lot of sweet fruits, they won’t get this right. Why do I arrogantly say this? The bottomline for the quality of our mango is SOIL quality. This is also the reason why mangoes from Ceby, Guimaras, Zambales still differ in quality never mind if they fall under the same species.
Thailand Mango shakes are really good too, but yeah, Philippines’ mango shakes is better, sweeter, and yummier….hmmm…
where can you buy ripe manoes in batangas by the “kaing”?