Nate Dog in the house!!!

Nate came for a visit and we got down on some of God's fruit (mangoes) and The Devil's fruit (Durian). This was the first time I had ever had Durian that was TOO ripe and it kinda tasted like this sweet, stinky oatmeal type thing. It wasn't terrible but we didn't finish it and my house smelled for hours. Anyway here are some photos:

Thai-like mango

I'm not 100% clear on what the seller said, but I think she told me that this mango is common in Thailand, but she was selling ones that were grown in Cambodia. I do recall having one of these in Thailand, and it was pretty bad. She was selling these unripe mangoes at about 4 for $1.

Notes:

---Jeff---

This mango really exceeded expectations. It was firm, tart, sweet, and had a lot of interesting flavor. I could go for this again in the future.

• Smell: Very "herb-like." Reminded me of the smell of the "Koh Rodeau," but with less fig and more tree-like smells.
  
• Taste: Sweet with an excellent sour balance. Taste includes plant-y smell.
  
• Texture: Firm and crisp. Also leaves a slightly powdery sensation on the tongue, but this is quite pleasant.
  
• Color: A dark sea-green on the outside, and white (with a very very faint yellow tint) on the inside
  

Swai Gaiu L'mee-ut ("[[find out meaning]] cup mango")

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This large mango is the most frequently encountered in Cambodia. Cambodians eat it both raw or ripe. These were purchased at a price of $1 per kilo (which comes to 3 or 4 mangoes).

Notes:

---jeff---

This mango tasted fairly reminiscent of the bland-ish yellow mangoes I've eaten in America. Not bad (considering its good texture and acidity), but nothing special either. Plain mango.

• Smell: dried, powdered mango, reminds of milky dessert
• Taste: typical mango flavor with a bend towards "caramelized sugar" taste. Light acid present but not unified with sweetness.
• Texture: fleshy, watery, and bouncy
• Color: yellow-yellow-orange

Swai Bong Moan ("Chicken egg mango")

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These small round mangoes were purchased for 500 riel (13 cents) a piece at the local market. The seller told me that it wasn't as delicious as "Wrong month mango."

Notes:

---jeff---

This mango was not very remarkable in any way, other than its relative "untastiness" compared to the others. Had a strong "stink" which wasn't very pleasant

• Smell: a stinky, somewhat cheese-like smell. Also like old books or cardboard
• Taste: intensely sweet and almost completely lacking in acid. Taste reminds me somewhat of bubblegum. Also reminds me of bad Thai mangoes. The others noted that it was not as juicy feeling as the others
• Texture: somewhat denser, which helped conjure images of cheese. Felt more "packed," and was sort of to the point of "chewy"
• Color: dark yellow+orange

Swai Koh Rodeau ("Wrong Month Mango")

This mango was purchased for 1000R (approx 25 cents) at the local market, a relatively high price for such a small mango (about the size of a small fist). The name literally translates to "wrong month mango," which refers to the fact that it tends to ripen outside of the normal mango season. (I haven't seen any in the markets until now though, and mango season is just starting to pick up, so I'm not completely sure about the name).

Notes:

---Jeff---

This small mango usurped the throne from the previous king, swai gaiuw jeun ("Chinese cup mango"). It has incredible depth of flavor and complexity, and will be the mango of choice for some time to come. The seller did not lie when she said "number one in cambodia" (nou kompuchea leik muy)

• Smell: Intense, complex, herbal and "dark" fruit smell. Specifically reminded me of smelling dried, high-quality Japanese green tea (sencha) from the bag. Also has minty character, and reminds me of a dark, ripe fig. Very intense
• Taste: Intense. Sweet, acid, rich. Packs a powerful punch, and delivers what it promises in the smell. Very strong and rich mango. (good thing it's so small...)
• Texture: Juicy but not watery. An excellent balance.
• Color: dark yellow mixed with brown and green tints. Also had some interesting brown veins (reminded me of chicken meat)

Swai Gaiu Jeun ("Chinese cup mango")

The price for this mango varies depending on ripeness and seller, but can range between about 4 to 6 for $1.

Notes:

---jeff----

This mango is probably the most purely floral of the four we tried today. Pleasant taste, fairly rich in sweetness

• Smell: tropical flowers, coconut, coconut desserts
• Taste: very full, round taste. Acidity is incorporated well into other tastes. Heavy sweetness would be overbearing if not for balance brought out by well-blended acidity. Tastes similar to pineapple (in both flavor and acid/sugar balance). In general, very rich. Also has a slight hint of powderyness.
• Texture: Smooth and creamy feel. Low fiber
• Color: yellow