Like “The Force”, mango season had a dark side and a light side. On the dark side were the legions of flies that emerged through some Kafkaesque spontaneous generation within a day or so after the start of mango season.... But on the bright side were the mangoes themselves: juicy, delicious, and to be found everywhere.

The mangoes I've had in the States are but a pale imitation of their African cousins. They're “cultured”, which I guess means they're supposed to be better behaved -- and it's true, they are much easier to eat, without the stringiness of the mango I enjoyed in Togo. But they are also much less tasty: they compare to Togolese mangoes as cheese wiz compares to a ripe Camembert.

Back to Memories of Togo.