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Mango biche
Mango biche: sour green mango strips with salt, lime and pepper, the Colombian street-cart snack
Paper and plastic cones of mango biche are sold from street carts in Cali, Barranquilla and Bogotá, especially around schools, parks and bus stops. Biche means unripe: the mango is still hard and pale green inside, so it is crunchy and mouth-puckeringly sour, and the vendor cuts it into long strips and shakes on salt, lime and black pepper, sometimes a pinch of chilli. It is a refreshing, almost savoury snack, eaten in the afternoon heat. Choosing a mango that has started to ripen is the slip that spoils it: the flesh should be firm and white-green with no yellow, or it turns soft and sweet. Look for green mangoes in Asian and Latin shops. Chef's tip: chill the mango for 30 minutes before cutting; the strips stay crisp and the salt and lime cling better.
- Total time
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Peel 2 hard green mangoes with a sharp peeler, then slice the flesh off the stone in thick slabs.
Step 2: Cut the slabs into strips about 1 cm wide, like thick chips.
Step 3: Put the strips into cones or a bowl and pour over the juice from 1 lime.
Step 4: Sprinkle with 1 tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper and ¼ tsp chilli powder if using, toss and eat straight away.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 70 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 0 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mango biche take?
- About 10 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of hard green mangoes?
- Tinned mango pulp, same weight.
- What can I use instead of lime?
- Lemon, same amount.
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