Willie Ebanks — more commonly known as Farmer Willie — is a mango lover just like many of us. He especially enjoys mango jam.
“I even put a little pepper in my jam to take away some of the sweetness. It goes perfect on toast,” said Ebanks, a farmer at North Side's Whistling Duck Farm and a long-time staple of Camana Bay's farmers markets.
World Mango Day is celebrated globally on 22 July, a day to honour one of the world's most beloved fruits. This season in particular has been very fruitful, so there's been plenty of mangoes to honour. Ebanks' trees are producing more than 2,000 pounds of mangoes per day, way more than Ebanks and the farm can sustain.
“It has been hard to keep up with it this year," Ebanks said. "We have freezers and freezers just overflowing with mangoes."
You can find Willie's Fresh Fruit and Juices at the weekly produce market at the solar array on Market Street, across from Jessie's Juice Bar. The market is held 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Not sure what to do with mangoes? Ebanks said there are plenty of ways you can spice up your recipes.
You can use different breeds of mangoes for different recipes, Ebanks said. For example, the common mango works best for making jams because it has a stronger mango flavour. For juices, some might use carries because they are softer and you can get more juice from the pulp.
Some of the ways Camana Bay's restaurants have incorporated mango in their menus are by making chutneys, salads, ceviches and more.
This article was originally published in the July/August 2023 print edition of Camana Bay Times.
At Abacus, one of the most popular dishes on their menu is the kale, avocado and mango salad. The sweet bite from the local mango is used to complement the creamy avocado with a fresh crunch from the kale. The salad is often paired with a local red snapper, creating a perfect Caribbean-inspired dish and a balance between sweet and savoury.
Agua Restaurant & Lounge uses local mango in their very popular ceviche as it provides a peculiar sweetness and slight acidity that pairs well with local fresh fish.
And if that wasn’t enough, Agua has created a cocktail menu called “Cayman Kindness,” which features a unique mango cocktail with seasoning pepper and scotch bonnet, called Spicy Huldah.
The team at Jessie’s Juice Bar & Café uses a house-made mango chutney to add a little sweetness to their marbled rye sourdough grilled cheese sandwiches.
Another favourite in the Town Centre is Gelato & Co. Cremeria Italiana’s mango sorbetto. This sweet treat contains the perfect balance between mango, water and sugar, giving it the smooth consistency all while being dairy-free. Visitors often pair the mango sorbet with another popular local fruit – soursop. Enjoy the season served in a cup, a cone or even a whole cake!