Let's say you have a mango tree in your front yard. Of course the fruit ripens all at once, and since a fully-grown mango tree can give birth to hundreds of mangoes at the same time, you can't possibly consume them all before the fruit rots. What to do? Enter a local tradition that goes hand in hand with food preservation methods dating back thousands of years - pickling of the mango.
"Pickle mango" is simply sliced mango pickled in a chilled sweet brine solution, usually infused with li-hing powder - a tasty plum-like flavoring common in the Islands. Locals put li-hing on everything - popcorn at the movies, preserved fruits like cherries, gummy bears, you name it. Li -hing makes everything a bit sweeter and more savory.
This pickle mango stand was set up on the side of Hana Highway right before Paia town. You will see this very distinctive pickle mango sign all over the North Shore, so if you're in the area and see this call to mango lovers the world over, why not pull over and have a taste of local Hawaiiana?
