Summer Vibes with a Spicy Mango Cocktail topped with an Aperol Foam

“He visits my town once a year. He fills my mouth with kisses and nectar. I spend all my money on him. Who, girl, your man? No, a mango.” — Amir Khusrau

While we are in a summer cocktail mode, it’s time to bring out the king of summer fruits — The Mango. There is no better way to celebrate the summer season than with a delicious Mango drink.

For most Indians, Mango is the flavour of our childhood. This fragrant and juicy fruit is intrinsically linked with nostalgic memories of summer holidays. Those were the days when mobile phones, online gaming, or Netflix did not rule our lives. Our summer vacations were spent playing games with the gang of friends in the open fields, hanging from tall trees, trying to steal mangoes from the neighbour’s mango trees, or eating mangoes and lychees with a bunch of cousins. We did not care about the intense summer heat. For most of us, nothing could beat the joy of sinking into a mango trance every summer.

Mango is a sweet tropical stone fruit whose history began over 4000 years ago on the Indian subcontinent. No other fruit is as revered in India as a Mango — the National Fruit of India. Summertime in India is all about Mango obsession. In fact, it has its own cult fanbase with a mango war on Twitter to decide which is the best mango variety. As the summer progresses, almost 300 varieties of mangoes ripen across different parts of India. Everyone has their own personal favourites. Incidentally, India is the biggest producer as well as consumer of Mangoes.

The Mango trees hold great importance in Hinduism as well as in Buddhism. It is considered as the symbol of the Lord Prajapati, the great creator deity. The mango leaves are also considered to be auspicious and are used in social and religious ceremonies and are hung as torans from doors and windows to keep out negative energy and encourage the free flow of oxygen. During the Puja ceremony, the mango leaves symbolise the Goddess Lakshmi. The Mango fruit is mentioned in many ancient Hindu scriptures like the Puranas, Ramayana, and the Mahabharata as a symbol of love and fertility. The Sanskrit word for Mango is Amra and is referred to as “ Food of the Gods’ in the Vedas. It is said that Lord Buddha was once presented with a grove of mango trees to relax under. There is also a legend of how Lord Buddha made a mango tree appear out of thin air. The Buddhists consider the Mango tree as a beacon of peace and knowledge.

Not surprisingly, Mangoes have been an integral part of Indian culture and heritage as well as its historical past. It is one of the oldest fruits known to India.

• The earliest literary mention of Mangoes is in one of the oldest Upanishad — The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, circa 700 BCE.
• Alexander the great carried back a variety of mangoes when he returned to Greece after his defeat by King Porus in 326 B.C.
• The famous Chinese Buddhist pilgrim Hsüan-Tsang who visited India in the 7th century A.D during Emperor Harshavardhana’s reign was the first person to introduce Mangoes to the world outside India.
• Sultan Alauddin Khilji was the first patron of Mangoes and his legendary feast at the Sivama Fort was a lavish Mango extravaganza.
• The Portuguese were the first to establish a Mango trade sometime after they landed in Calcutta in 1498.
• The earliest mention of Mangoes in a European language was in 1510 by Ludovico di Varthema, an Italian traveler, who gave an account of his travels in India and Burma.
• The Mughal love affair with Mangoes started in 1526 when Daulat Khan Lodi tempted the first Mughal ruler Babur with Mangoes to invade India to help overthrow Ibrahim Lodi.
• In 1539, Sher Shah Suri defeated Babur’s son Humayun in Chausa and named a variety of Mango as “Chausa Mango” to commemorate this victory. Even during his exile in Kabul, Humayun ensured a supply of mangoes through a well-established courier system.
• The 16th century Ain-e-Akbari by Abul Fazal Allami talks in detail about the mango varieties and their quality under Emperor Akbar who was so fond of mangoes that he planted an orchard with 100 thousand mango trees in Lakhi Bagh near Darbhanga.
• Emperor Jahangir, the 4th Mughal ruler, in his memoirs Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri talks about his love for Mangoes. His name is forever linked with Mangoes in the succulent Jahangir Mango — a pricey and prized mango variety. Empress Nur Jahan made her legendary wines with Mangoes and roses.
• Aurangzeb used Mangoes as a diplomatic gift to Shah Abbas of Persia to gain political favours.

Mangoes ruled the hearts of not only kings and queens, but also poets like Kalidas, Amir Khusrau, Mirza Ghalib, and Rabindra Nath Tagore who have mentioned this king of fruits in their compositions. In fact, Amir Khusrau called it “ Naghza Tarin Mewa Hindustan” — the fairest fruit of Hindustan.

Mangoes contain antiseptic, antiviral, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties. They are a powerhouse of minerals, nutrients, and vitamins that boosts immunity, are good for the eyes. improves skin complexion and are also good for the heart. As per Ayurveda, a Mango balances all 3 doshas.

There are more ways to laud this fruit than there are cocktails to drink in an evening, so let’s get right to the good stuff.

Spicy Mango Cocktail with an Aperol Foam

A marriage between a Rum Punch and Margarita makes for a refreshing drink that is ideal for Summer Parties. Summer Sunshine in a glass. The Aperol Foam is the game-changer in this cocktail.

INGREDIENTS

Cocktail

• 1½ oz / 45 ml Tequila
• 1 oz / 30 ml Aged Rum
• 1 or 2 Jalapeño Slices
• 4 oz / 120 ml Fresh Mango Juice / Puree
• 1 oz Agave Syrup
• 1 oz Fresh Lemon Juice
• 2 dashes Bitters
• Garnish: Aperol Foam with a sprinkle of grated Orange Zest

Aperol Foam

• 2 Egg Whites
• 1½ oz / 45 ml Lime Juice
• 1½ oz / 45 ml Rich Demerara Syrup
• 2 Gelatin Sheets (Bloomed)
• 1 oz / 30 ml water
• 1½ oz / 45 ml Fresh Orange Juice
• 1 oz / 30 ml Aperol

DIRECTIONS

Aperol Foam

• Bloom the gelatin sheets in cold water.
• Combine the Sugar Syrup with the bloomed gelatin sheet (after squeezing out the excess water from the gelatin sheets) over medium heat until the gelatin dissolves. (Do Not boil).
• Let this mixture cool to room temperature.
• Whisk the egg whites, lemon juice, orange juice, and the Aperol together in a bowl briefly.
• Combine the sugar syrup and the gelatin mixture with the egg white and Aperol mixture.
• Transfer this mixture into an iSi whpper.
• Shake and charge it with N2O chargers twice.
• Shake and refrigerate for at least 5–6 hours before using.

Cocktail

• Muddle the Jalapenos in the Shaker Tin
• Then add the rest of the ingredients.
• Hard shake and strain into a Glass.
• Top with Aperol Foam and sprinkle some grated Orange Zest on top of the foam
• Drink, Smile, and Repeat.

Tasting Notes: A bright fruit-forward spicy drink with a citrusy bitter edge. The sweetness of Mangoes plays beautifully with the spicy kick of the Jalapeno. The lime juice adds the sour notes to contrast with the sweet mango flavour. The Aperol foam adds texture and a bitter orangey and a citrus flavour depth that pairs incredibly with the sweetness of mango to give this cocktail the essence of summer. Tequila and Rum marry together beautifully to give the cocktail a bright, bold, caramel, earthy, and vegetal complexity.

Food Pairing:

• Small Plates: Thai Chili Shrimp Lettuce Wraps; Chicken Satay; Ceviche: Spicy Tuna with Crackers; Gỏi cuốn; Crispy Deep Fried Ribs; Crab Cakes; Vegetable Spring Rolls; Corn Fritters; Cucumber Sandwiches; Nachos with Salsa; Cowboy Caviar with Corn Chips.
• Greens / Soups: Strawberry and Walnut Salad; Pineapple Cheese and Chicken Ham Salad; Gazpacho; Chicken and Avocado Soup; Caribbean Fish Soup.
• Big Plates: Guacamole Chicken Wraps; Grilled Chicken and Asparagus Pesto Pasta; Grilled Chicken Burger and Chips; Kori Gassi served with Neer Dosa or Aapam; Sweet & Sour Shrimp Stir Fry served over Steamed Rice; Jamaican Curried Shrimp served over a bed of Rice; Grilled Tilapia served with Snap Peas and Aioli; Pan Seared Mahi Mahi with Coconut Rice and Tropical Salsa; Pulled Pork Tacos; Jerk Pork served with Rice; Black Bean Enchiladas; Creamy Zucchini Pesto Pasta; Roasted Cauliflower and Black Bean Tacos; Crispy Coconut Tofu Poké Bowl with Wasabi Sauce; Chana Bhatura; Black Bean Burgers with Chips.
• Desserts: Kulfi; Shrikhand; Coconut Barfi; White Chocolate Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake; Blueberry Lemon Whoopie Pies.

Originally published at https://perfectpotions.co on June 18, 2021.