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Beware the Mango!
Laserwolf
Member Posts: 2,383
I rarely eat a Mango. I enjoy them well enough, but they cost a little more than I like to pay for fruit. However, I decided to grab one the other day on a whim.
I'm kicking back, watching the final episode of Season 3 of The Tudors, when I decide to tackle the Mango. I grab it, rinse it quickly under some water, and also grab a knife. Now one of my few issues with the Mango, besides the price, is that the giant seed and inedible skin(some people do eat it) make it very messy and also a little hard to eat. I started with slicing the skin of each side and going to town on what was left. I even left the funky furry seed pretty clean. Last stop was the fair amount of fruit still attached to the slices of skin. This is where I made my mistake.
Apparently, the Mango is pretty closely related to two other very well known plants: Poison Ivy and Poison Sumac. The Sap of the Mango usually gets all over the skin during harvesting and contains a chemical called "Urushiol" which is the same chemical given off by its infamous relatives. So in the process of scraping the fruit off the skin with my teeth I managed to smear the skin all over my mouth and face. Within less than 24 hours I was blessed with angry red itchy sores around my mouth, and in another 24 hours my face was covered in non-stop oozing sores that have shamed me into missing two days of work. Just within the last day half my bottom lip has swollen up and I just feel really fantastic.
A lot of internet research confirmed the Mango as the culprit and left me with few options. I was told by a Dr. that the reaction is not serious enough to warrant any heavy handed medicine and to just wait it out over the next week or more. I did find many many references to a medicinal soap called "Zanfel" which is supposed to bond with the toxic chemical still all over my skin(water or soap won't get it off) and allow for it to rinse off, but an ounce of the stuff costs $40. Being pretty miserable I caved in and bought some of it. Not much immediate difference after applying, though the itching does seem to stop. I'll follow-up if this really is some sort of miracle drug.
Just wanted to make sure everyone knew the dangers of eating a Mango. Best thing you can do is to wash the outside with both soap and water before eating, and try to avoid facial contact with the skin at all costs.
Comments
What??? Eat Healthy Stuff??? Im Good thx for the warning tho.
If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude; greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.
Samuel Adams
Hmm, it's a good thing you weren't feeling particularly lonely when you bought the mango and decided to cut a hole in it. That would have made for a better story, though.
I had the nasty experience of finding out I cant eat beef then mango. For unknown reasons the beef just doesnt digest. Whats even weirder is mango is what I eat to help me digest everything else. I LOVE MANGO! What ends up happening every time I go to the Philippines is I eat a burger and forget to not eat a mango. Which is hard since you eat it all the time. Then you throw up a undigested wad of beef three day later. LOOOOVELY experience haha, if you dont mind gagging and gasping for air as the beef lodges in your throat like a hunk of glue
mangoes taste really good, especially when the ripeness is just right. It has this sweetness that can't be found in other fruits. I kind of feel sorry to those who're allergic to it hehe
Umm no offense but you clearly have no idea how to eat a mango or prepare one easily (if that wasn't already obvious)
Let me tell you how to do it:
1. Firstly (and experience helps) you cut a 1/3 of the mango right through on each side, leaving two even sides + central seed segment with some flesh still around it.
2. Assuming you eat the seed segment first, simply peel off the skin around it and just eat around the seed.
3. Most important step for mango enjoyment (no peeling required!) - make sure the flesh of the side segments are facing upwards, simply grab a knife and make cuts from one end of the peel to the other, both horizontally and vertically (make sure not to cut too deep into the skin)
4. Using your hands fold the bottom up and you should end up with this:
5. Simply use a fork or spoon and enjoy!
O_o o_O
I'm just today feeling nearly healed 12 days after exposure. Wash your mangos very well with soap and water before you eat them, and avoid facial contact with the skin. Maybe only one out of twenty will have sap on it, but you don't want to take that risk. Trust me on this.
Yeah, I ate it like a newbie. I appreciate the tip. Soap and water is still a good idea to prevent hand to face spreading of possible sap, but not trying to eat off the skin would probably have spared me much misery.
I was about to say, I love Mangos and there is just a 1/4 chance I will eat one every month (i wait till they go on sale). Never knew about the Mango Sap though. that's interesting.
-In memory of Laura "Taera" Genender. Passed away on Aug/13/08-
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