Pickled young mango originated in Gieng Island (Cu Lao Gieng), Binh Phuoc Xuan commune, Cho Moi district, An Giang province. Gieng Island has lush fruits orchards and fresh fruits during the year. Mango trees are grown popularly on the island. In mango season, gardens on the island are full of premature mangoes falling from the tree. One day, Mr. Nguyen Hoang Liet picked those mangoes up and use them to make a pickle. Since then, people on the island have made pickle from young mango for their family and selling. The tasty pickled young mango has become a specialty food of the island as well as the entire province. It is served as a snack, a starter and is a great gift from Cu Lao Gieng.
To make pickled young mango, they choose young mango fruit which is as small as a human big toe. These mangoes are peeled, cut in half or quarter, soaked in water. The seeds should be removed. After that, the young mango pieces are washed, soaked in salt water, washed again. Cook sugar with kneaded chili pepper until sugar dissolves completely. Marinate the young mango with the sugar chili pepper mixture, put the mango into plastic bags, tie the bags and store them in ice. Cu Lao Gieng pickled young mango is famous for being crunchy outstandingly, a perfect ratio of mango to spices (sugar, chili pepper) and no use of any food additive.
The sweet, sour, hot and crunchy pickled young mango whet your appetite so much so that it is usually served as a starter before main dishes. Some people prefer to dip this food in chili salt. Many restaurants in Cu Lao Gieng as well as in An Giang have free pickled young mango on the tables so that customers can eat some while waiting for ordered dishes. Cu Lao Gieng pickled young mango is sold popularly at many markets in other regions of the country so that it is easy to buy some.
