Mango Hometown Tour Completes Six-City Series

ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Mango Board completed its final taste-off on the Mango Hometown Tour in Hartford, Conn. last week. Hartford was the last stop on a six-city tour in which two local chefs in each location were challenged to create a mango recipe that reflects the best of their region. Along with Hartford, the Hometown Tour visited the following cities:

• St. Louis, MO – May 6
• Charlotte, NC – May 13
• Portland, OR – June 17
• Tampa, FL – July 8
• Cleveland, OH – July 29
• Hartford, CT – July 26

"We were blown away by the creativity demonstrated by the chefs in each market," said Wendy McManus, director of marketing for the National Mango Board. "The Mango Hometown Tour gave us the opportunity to experience mango's versatility as an ingredient, and we hope attendees left the events feeling inspired and excited about using mangos in their own kitchens."

The winning dish was decided on by panels of judges featuring local food experts and media personalities, and the free event was open to the public, drawing approximately 70 or more attendees in each market. These chefs and dishes were awarded the top honor in each city:

• St. Louis, MO – Josh Galliano, Monarch: Shrimp Chorizo with Mango Romescu, Mango Tuille and Whipped Mango Vinegar
• Charlotte, NC – Tom Condron, The Liberty: Berkshire Pork Belly with Vanilla-Mango Butter, Pickled Fresh Hearts Of Palm And Mango Slaw and a Mango Beer Shot
• Portland, OR – Bo Kwon, Koi Fusion: Korean Fish Tacos with Mango Pico De Gallo and Mango Salsa
• Tampa, FL – Chris Ponte, Cafe Ponte: Shrimp and Mango Japanese Style
• Cleveland, OH – Jonathan Bennett, Moxie, The Restaurant: Mango, Cilantro and Crab Fritter with Mango Ketchup, served over Green Mango Slaw
• Hartford, CT – (Tie) Billy Grant, Restaurant Bricco, Grants Restaurant, Bricco Trattoria and Chris Torla, Trumbull Kitchen: Mango and Plum Wine Braised BBQ Short Ribs with Mango Cilantro Salsa (Grant), and Mango Three Ways (Torla), featuring a  Bacon Mango Slider, Mango Lassi and a Mango Fondue Tartlette

These dishes demonstrated some of the innovative ways the delicious taste of mangos can be used in everyday dishes. Not only are mangos the world's most popular fruit, they are an excellent source of vitamins A and C and a good source of dietary fiber with only 100 calories per one cup serving.

At each stop, retailers Harris Teeter, Giant Eagle, Price Chopper, Fred Meyer, Schnucks and Sweetbay Supermarket were part of the action as well. Besides showcasing seasonal mango varieties, the retailers provided consumers with resources like recipes, tips for selecting and cutting a mango, as well as fresh ingredients that complement the fruit's bright flavor.

Please visit www.mango.org/hometowntour for additional information on the Mango Hometown Tour including dates, location information, event highlights, photos and videos.

About National Mango Board

The National Mango Board is a national promotion and research organization, which is supported by assessments from both domestic and imported mangos. The board was designed to drive awareness and consumption of fresh mangos in the U.S. One cup of mango is only 100 calories, an excellent source of vitamins A and C, a good source of fiber and an amazing source of tropical flavor.

Mango availability per capita has quadrupled since 1990 to an estimated 2.24 pounds per year in 2010.  Mango import volume for 2010 was 770 million pounds.  Learn more at www.mango.org.

SOURCE National Mango Board