Mango Review-
“Lemon Zest” from Zill’s in Boynton Beach, FLLineage: Po Pey Kayu (a.k.a. Lemon Meringue) seedling
Size: 5.5” Long x 3” wide
Date: June 6th, 2013
While I am new to the Florida mango scene and there are many varieties I have yet to sample, the Lemon Zest mango was by far the most remark-able, delicious mango I have had this year. It doesn’t really have that much classical “mango” flavor to it at all. The skin of the ripe fruit and the inside flesh are both pure yellow. It has the perfect, moderate level of sweetness for me… , not too intense or overpowering. The center of the soft, creamy flesh has suave, citrusy taste… perhaps a mild ‘lemon gelatto’ flavor. As you eat from the edge of a slice and get towards flesh that is very close to the skin – a distinct Orange Sherbet flavor bursts through. This mango is 'finger licking' delicious… I diligently scraped the skin with my teeth to get every last bit of the sherbet goodness off, then I raked and sucked the seed clean.
An interesting characteristic of the mango I got was that it had particularly large black “hairs” or fibers, embedded in the in the area close to the rind that had the orange sherbet flavor.
There were no normal flesh fibers, an overall smooth + suave & sophisticated eating experience.
I let my neighbors and my parents, who "officially" don't care for mangos after a bad experience with Tommy or Turpentine back in the 70s, try it... and everyone was pleasantly surprised, but my mom was not converted.
Rating: A+