How to Dice a Mango (like a Hedgehog!)

Cutting a mango can be tricky, with that enormous seed and wonky oval shape. The Hedgehog Method is the easiest way to dice a mango; no peeler required. (Plus, you can use it to make an adorable mango hedgehog!)

Jump to:

• How to Choose a Mango
• The Hedgehog Method for Dicing Mangos
• How to Make a Mango Hedgehog
• Easy Mango Recipes
• How to Dice a Mango

How to Choose a Mango

When choosing mangos at the grocery store, it can be tempting to go for the pretty, red-blushed fruits, but color is not the best way to pick a mango. (That rosy glow is just a sunspot from where the sunlight hit as it hung on the tree.)

The best way to choose a mango is to first smell it: it should have a slightly sweet scent. Then press gently into the flesh with your finger or thumb. It should give just a little: aim for a semi-firm, ripe peach feel. Like peaches, overly ripe mangoes are difficult to dice and taste mushy. (No one wants that!)

Mangos are climacteric fruits, which means they will ripen on or off the vine. Tomatoes, hot chili peppers, bananas, apples, peaches, pineapples, apricots and many other fruits also fall into this category.

If the mangos you purchase are not quite ripe enough, never fear. Under-ripe mangos will continue to ripen at room temperature, and in a few days, they will be sweeter, softer, and perfect for eating. If you would like to speed up the ripening process, simply place them in a paper bag at room temperature for a few days.

One word of warning about mangos: the flesh is delicious, but you should avoid eating the skin. The skin, bark, and leaves of mangoes contain urushiol, the same toxin in that is in poison ivy and poison oak. If you're allergic to poison ivy, biting into a mango can cause a severe reaction, including swelling, rash, and even problems breathing.

The Hedgehog Method for Dicing Mangos

This technique for cutting mangos is known as the Hedgehog Method because the result looks like a prickly, rounded hedgehog's back.

Step 1: Cut Out the Seed

Mangos have a large, flat seed that runs down the center of the fruit. The flesh is firmly attached to it, and it must be cut away, so the first thing you need to do is identify where the seed is. 

The easiest way to cut the seed out is set the mango on the counter. It will naturally settle on its side, and the seed inside will be parallel to the counter. You can also find the seed by identifying the ridge that runs the circumference of the mango at the edges of the seed.

To cut the flesh away from the seed, balance the mango on one of the thin sides and cut away the fruit from both sides of the seed. Use a larger knife for this step, and make sure it is sharp. (We always use our short chef's knife.) Use utmost care as you cut the mango.

Try to get as close to the seed as possible - you will know you are there when your knife meets with resistance.

Cut on either side of the ridge and you will end up with three mango slices; one with the seed and two with only fruit.

Step 2: Score the Fruit

Set one fruit-only piece of mango on the counter, flesh-side up. Using a sharp paring knife, score the fruit in a crosshatch pattern, making the squares as big as you want your dice-size to be.

Step 3: Pop the Mango!

Here’s that magic trick you've been waiting for!

Place your thumbs gently on the face of the scored mango and your fingers underneath. Apply a little counter-pressure and Ta-da!  It pops inside-out like magic! Pretty cool, huh?

Now that you've peeled and scored the mango, you have three choices:

• Eat it now! Just eat the little dices right off the skin! No muss, no fuss! (Don't eat that skin though!)
• Use it in a recipe. Hold the mango over a bowl or plate and use a sharp paring knife to cut the mango away from the skin.
• Eat it later: Wait until your are ready to eat it before you pop it inside-out. Be sure to pack an extra napkin for cleaning up after!

How to Make a Mango Hedgehog

This is my absolute favorite thing to do with mangos, and it takes less than a minute!

To make a mango hedgehog, all you need to do it leave a little half moon at the end uncut when you are scoring the mango. Then just use a whole allspice and a couple of whole cloves to make eyes and a nose, and you've got yourself an adorable mango hedgehog!

Use it to add a little fun to your next charcuterie board or zhuzh up a salad bowl. Or just eat it, 'cause it's fun!

Easy Mango Recipes

Mangos taste a bit like a cross between a peach and a pineapple, with a little citrus thrown in for good measure. They bring a tropical freshness to any recipe, whether eaten fresh, blended, or baked. Here are a few of our favorite mango recipes:

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Originally published May 9, 2014