Favorite fruit

Ah, fruit. God's food. Natural, sweet, wholesome, delicious! So many different kinds to choose from...it's hard to pick a favorite. Do I go with peaches that are bursting with juice, practically falling off the pit? Or the versatile banana that goes in my cereal, my smoothies and my ice cream sundaes? Perhaps the blueberry with its slightly sweet, slightly tart zing? Or the purple grapes I love to stash in the freezer and munch on during a hot summer day? It could be the fresh, sweet strawberry that I pick off my hanging plant, bursting with flavor into every corner of my mouth causing my cheeks to burn with pleasure. But the one that trumps them all, and this is as much of a surprise to me as to anyone, is the perfectly oval mango.

Ripe mangoes are better than dessert (and that's amazing coming from me). Their sweet orange flesh is slimy to the touch but just slides around in your mouth waiting for your teeth to bite into the soft flesh and when you do, your mouth comes alive! Mangoes aren't hugely popular here in the U.S., though they seem to be gaining some popularity, but I heard a statistic that said mangoes are the world's most popular fruit and of course that makes sense when you think about it. They are used widely in many different cultures around the world including India and Latin America. When my sister lived in El Salvador, she wrote home about the street vendors selling mangoes all the time. They were in abundance and were a part of many a meal.

I like them plain, or in a fruit salad the best. But they also make wonderful chutneys, sauces and glazes.

So what do you think? What's your favorite fruit? Take the poll and if your favorite isn't listed, respond to this post and tell me what your favorite is and why.