Mango Sour Recipe

Mango Sour is a tangy, sweet and spicy Guyanese condiment. It’s used as a dipping sauce for many savoury dishes and is HIGHLY addictive!

Guyanese mango sour recipe

I don’t know about you, but I LOVE a good condiment. As it turns out, so do the people of Guyana, which is a small country located in the northeastern corner of South America. In fact, in Guyanese cuisine, a condiment isn’t just treated like a side. It’s a pivotal part of a dish!

Mango sour is easily one of the most popular Guyanese condiments. It’s what ketchup is to Americans, or mayonnaise is to the Dutch. You’ll most commonly find mango sour paired with various fried appetizers, such as Guyanese fish cakes or plantain chips.

Ths Guyanese sauce is the perfect balance of tangy, sweet and spicy. It’s super quick and easy to make, and can be customized for your taste.

For instance, if you want a super sour mango sauce, you can use an unripe green mango. If you prefer a sweeter condiment, you can use a riper mango and add additional sugar. You can also adjust the type of chilli and how much you use, depending on your spice tolerance.

What makes Mango Sour unique?

Guyanese mango sour is similar to Indian mango pickle or South African mango atchar. While the concept of these mango condiments is the same, each has a unique flavour profile. For the Guyanese Mango Sour, one of the main distinguishing factors is the use of either wiri wiri or scotch bonnet pepper for heat.

How to make Guyanese Mango Sour

1. Prepare ingredients by chopping up mango, garlic, chilli and coriander.

Guyanese mango sour ingredients being chopped

2. Add chopped mango, garlic, chilli, coriander, salt, pepper, sugar and water to a medium saucepan. Bring ingredients to a rapid boil for 15 minutes. Reduce to a simmer until the mango has completely softened.

Guyanese mango sour ingredients being cooked in pan

3. Take the saucepan off the heat. Mash the mango down so no big chunks remain. Alternatively, you can pulse is in a food processor for a smoother texture. Allow mango sour to cool for 10 minutes.

Guyanese mango sour in a bowl

4. Once cooled, stir through lime juice and apple cider vinegar. Serve immediately, or store in a glass jar in the fridge.

Ingredients for Mango Sour

Guyanese Mango sour ingredients

Mango: The best type of mango to use for this Guyanese recipe is a green (or unripe) mango. The greener the mango, the more sour the sauce will be! You can use a ripe mango, it just means your mango sour will simply veer on the sweeter side.

Chilli: Traditionally in Guyanese mango sour, wiri wiri peppers or scotch bonnet peppers are used. If you cannot get either of these, you can substitute for red chilli like I had to.

Apple Cider Vinegar: I personally like the flavour profile of apple cider vinegar but you can sub for any neutral vinegar.

Serving Suggestions for this Guyanese Sauce

Guyanese mango sour recipe

This Guyanese condiment works particularly well with fried appetizers. Serve mango sour with Guyanese fish cakes, plantain chips or sweet potato wedges– really whatever your heart desires!

How to store mango sour

Store this mango sour in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Guyanese Mango Sour

Guyanese Mango Sour

Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Mango Sour is a tangy, sweet and spicy Guyanese condiment. It's used as a dipping sauce for many savoury dishes and is HIGHLY addictive!

Ingredients

  • 1 green mango, chopped into small pieces
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 chilli pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp coriander, finely chopped
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • Ground pepper
  • 1/4 tsp sugar
  • 2 cup water
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  1. Add chopped mango, garlic, chilli, coriander, salt, pepper, sugar and water to a medium saucepan.
  2. Bring ingredients to a rapid boil for 15 minutes. Reduce to a simmer until the mango has completely softened.
  3. Take the saucepan off the heat. Mash the mango down so no big chunks remain, or pulse in a food processor. Allow mango sour to cool for 10 minutes.
  4. Once cooled, stir through lime juice and apple cider vinegar. Serve immediately, or store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to a week.

Notes

MANGO: Using an unripe, green mango will produce the best 'sour' flavour profile. If you use a ripe mango, the sauce will be a lot sweeter.

CHILLI: Traditionally, Guyanese mango sour is made with wiri wiri or scotch bonnet peppers. If you cannot get hold of either of these, use red chilli.

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Hey, I'm Nicola!

I’m a London-based travel & food content creator. For the past 10 years, I’ve been on a mission to discover the best foodie destinations around the world. Come join the adventure!

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