By the mango tree of Hon land

The mango garden has been with my family for a long time, since my father was a child he saw the mango trees spreading their canopy on the mountain. My family planted sand mangoes, the area and number of mango trees were not as large as now but it was enough for my parents to take care of our education. When the mangoes were ripe, my father whittled bamboo to make a racket to pick the fruit, he only needed to stand under the tree and pull it lightly and the mangoes would fit neatly in the cage. Each sweet ripe mango contained my father's hard work.

The season of mango blossoming accompanied my childhood with many sweet memories. Mango flowers bloom quickly, with almost no signs of the time of blooming. Although the mango flowers are not very bright, they make up for it with the fragrant mango scent.

Every time the mango trees bloomed, we often collected fallen mango flowers to play house. The toys were simple, just pots, bowls, and plates molded from clay collected from the fields or along the canals and ditches behind the house. We were engrossed in this game since we were toddlers, so every child knew how to mold pots, bowls, and plates professionally, looking like real things. Just like that, we kids were engrossed in playing under the cool mango trees.

Mango season coincides with the beginning of summer every year. By April, the mangoes are ripe enough and begin to ripen. Photo: THE ANH

My family grows mangoes, so there is no shortage of dishes associated with the flavor of mountain mangoes. Every child loves to eat ripe mangoes, but green mangoes are equally delicious. Eating sliced green mangoes dipped in a thick mixture of fish sauce and sugar with a few slices of chili will taste sour, salty, sweet, spicy, and crunchy. If you don't have fish sauce and sugar, just a bowl of salt or shrimp paste will be very delicious.

Even though she was busy gardening, my mother still made mangoes soaked in fish sauce and sugar for the whole family to enjoy. My mother said that we had to choose green mangoes with slightly hard skin, the Cat mango variety, to make the pickled mangoes delicious. After peeling, the mangoes were split into halves or quarters depending on the size of the fruit, washed and drained. The process of cooking the fish sauce and sugar into a concentrated form was very important. Finally, my mother poured sugar into the mango jam along with a few slices of ripe chili to create a spicy, fragrant taste and attractive color.

In addition to mangoes soaked in fish sauce and sugar, mango salad is also very delicious. Cut the green mango stems, rub them to drain the sap, peel off the skin, wash them, then shred them into small, long, bite-sized pieces. If you want the green mango salad to be crunchy and delicious, choose ripe mangoes that have just been picked from the tree. Each step of making mango salad requires skill. Put the shredded green mangoes and other ingredients into a clean bowl, mix well, then pour the dressing on top, mix well a few more times, leave for about 15 minutes to soak in and then you can eat it. Although the dish is simple and easy to make, the flavor is delicious and unforgettable for anyone who has enjoyed it once.

Mango season is associated with the childhood of children in the island. Photo: THE ANH

After Tet, the mangoes begin to bloom and a few months later they bear fruit. The peak mango season coincides with the beginning of summer every year. By April, the mangoes are ripe enough to start ripening. The mango harvest season is very busy.

Over time, my hometown Tho Son has developed more and more. Thanks to hard work, the lives of my hometown people have changed more and more. The successive mango seasons have helped my hometown people build spacious and cozy houses, writing future journeys for us.

Nowadays, my father, uncles and aunts who grow mangoes in neighboring hamlets of Tho Son commune have joined together to form a cooperative, instead of each growing and selling on their own like before. According to my father, thanks to participating in cooperatives, mango farmers have their output guaranteed, so the selling price is more stable. Thanks to training in science and technology, people grow mangoes more scientifically, handle off-season flowering effectively, so the productivity and output of mangoes have increased, and people are more attached to their mango gardens.

Farmers in Tho Son commune, Hon Dat district ( Kien Giang ) pack Hoa Loc mangoes to sell to traders. Photo: THUY TRANG

Nowadays, Tho Son mango is famous everywhere. My hometown people are proud because the mountain mango has reached many places and more people can enjoy it.

Mango season is back amidst the bustling sounds of birds and the hustle and bustle of life. I wish I could be a child again to see the mango flowers falling, the mango clusters jostling each other, or to hear the sound of falling leaves rushing to a corner of the garden with the wind, to once again live in the sweet memories of the mango season in the mountains.

THE ANH

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