Coachella Valley Mangoes (Really)

You never know what surprises you’ll find at a farmers market. On Wednesdays in Santa Monica, the fruit of the moment is the mango.

“Wow! ... Are these really grown in California?” shoppers ask Bertha Wong as they crowd around her gorgeous Keitt mangoes.

Most people think of mangoes as growing in tropical lands such as India and Thailand, but given enough water, mango trees flourish in the dry, scorching Coachella Valley. This is the first season that Wong has had enough of a crop from her 100 trees in North Shore, near the Salton Sea, to sell at markets.

Compared with specimens from southern Florida, the only other place where mangoes are grown in the continental United States, California’s fruits are a bit less juicy, but even more intense in flavor.

They’re far better than fruits imported from Latin America and the Caribbean, which account for more than 98% of American consumption. Imported fruits often are picked underripe and have to be steamed to kill insect pests; this treatment adversely affects texture and flavor.

No mangoes could be more lusciously sweet than those of Wong Farms. Most are of the Keitt variety, which was first planted in Florida in 1939, but does especially well under arid conditions. The fruits are oval and quite large--up to 2 pounds each--with firm, juicy, lemon-yellow flesh that is delightfully free of fiber. Even when fully ripe, many Keitts have green skin, while others are blushed with yellow.

Mangoes are ripe when they give slightly to gentle pressure at the bottom (narrow) end. A classic preparation is to place the fruit stem-end down and slice off the two “filets” on either side of the flat pit in the center. Then crosshatch the two pieces, turn them inside-out and enjoy.

Near Wong Farms, on the west side of the Salton Sea, are two commercial plantings of Keitts totaling 175 acres. These fruits should be available at Southland Costco stores in a day or two.

Another new crop of a desert fruit, dates, has started showing up at farmers markets. Fresh yellow Barhi dates, which are crunchy and have a smack of astringency, are available for just a few weeks. They can be eaten hard or left in a warm area to ripen, at which point they’re incomparably soft and creamy--eating one is like biting into a sugary cloud.

At the Santa Monica Wednesday market, Robert Lower of Thermal sets up a spectacular display of unusual fresh dates, including the maroon Hayani and the pinkish Amir Haj. Aside from Barhi, most are too astringent to enjoy at this firm stage (known as khalal by aficionados), but ripen after being frozen for a day or two and then refrigerated.

Wong Farms will sell mangoes for several weeks at the Wednesday Santa Monica market as well as the two Saturday markets (Organic, and Pico and Cloverfield). Wong Farms will also be at the Friday Whittier market.

Bautista Family Organic Date Ranch of Mecca sells fabulously soft Barhi, Medjool and Khadrawy dates at many local farmers markets, including Santa Monica on Wednesday, Saturday (Pico & Cloverfield) and Sunday; Hollywood on Sunday; Torrance on Tuesday and Saturday; South Pasadena on Thursday; Pacific Palisades on Sunday; and Redondo Beach on Thursday.

*For a list of certified farmers markets in the Southland, go to www.latimes.com/farmersmarkets.