Agat Village has got a lovely bunch of mangos – and they will be showcased in all their splendor at the 17th Agat Mango Festival on May 22-24.

We’re talking about a variety of Guam’s favorite fruit, ranging from piko mangos and banana mangos to Saipan mangos.

Mango season in Guam usually starts around March when mango trees begin bearing fruit, which starts off green and ripens into rich yellow, red or even golden orange colors by late May to early June.

To highlight the harvesting season of the juicy, red-gold fruit, Agat Village has held a three-day mango festival at the southern seaside during the last weekend of May since 2006.

Festivities actually kick off before the festival with the Mango Sunset 2k/5k Run/Walk on May 16. The signup fee is $15 per runner and $50 for a family of four if you register before race day ($20/person on day of the race). The first 200 finishers will receive a T-shirt, so don’t miss this fun competition.

Then, the following weekend brings three full days – from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday – of live entertainment by local talent, along with various contests, giveaways, prizes, demonstrations and activities for young and old alike at Agat Village’s Sagan Bisita.

The annual festival allows visitors to see and taste a wide variety of different mangos on the island, as well as different mango creations, including smoothies and doughnuts. You’ll see booths with various mangos grown in the village and throughout the island. Agat farmers also produce a plethora of varieties: Hawaiian mangos, piko mangos, banana mangos, carabao mangos, apple mangos, Malaysian mangos, Saipan mangos and peach mangos, to name a few. That doesn’t even include a near-infinite number of crossbreeds – many of which will be showcased, sold and/or available for sampling at the festival.

The official judging and declaration of the island’s biggest, smallest, most beautiful and bizarre mango of the year takes place at the event, while other unique competitions will be offered for attendees. Why not participate in a pickled mango eating competition, or a mango dessert contest with your cooked sweets that use mango and other ingredients?

During the event, raffle tickets are available for purchase at $5 per booklet. Try your luck for a chance to win $3,000. The drawing will be held May 24 at 8 p.m.

Besides these culinary and entertainment features, the festival is also a good chance to get various wares and collectibles handmade by local artisans, craftsmen, gardeners and hobbyists. Mango Festival T-shirts, mugs, teacups, fans and bags will also be available at the event site, according to the event provider.

Fireworks will be launched May 24 at 9 p.m. to light up the sky of Agat Village and wrap up the three-day event.

Mango season has ripened, so let’s get a taste of it at this fun festival?

17th Mango Sunset 2k/5k Run/Walk

• Location: Agat Mayor’s Office

• Hours: May 16 (Sat.) Show at 4 p.m. and start at 5 p.m.

• Fees: $15 per runner and $50 for a family of four ($20/person on the day of the race)

17th Agat Mango Festival

• Location: Sagan Bisita (adjacent to Community Center, Agat Mayor’s Office and Post Office)

• Hours: May 22 6-10 p.m., 23 and 24 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.

• Admission: Free

For more about the Mango Festival, check out.

• The Agat Mayor’s Office Facebookpage (https://www.facebook.com/HagatMayorsOffice/) or

• Call the office at 565-2524.

1 head hydroponically grown (on Guam!) head of lettuce (butter, red oak leaf, etc.)
2 mangos, peeled and sliced into one-inch pieces
1 cucumber, sliced

Wash and distribute lettuce into four individual salad bowls. Top with cucumber and mango slices. Serve with your favorite dressing or keep it local and try Calamansi Poppy Seed Vinaigrette.

Consider incorporating local foods into your dinner parties. Your guests with appreciate the extra flavor, and you’ll get some new recipes under your belt!

- Chris Leon Guerrero

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of shredded local green mango

• 2 cloves of peeled garlic (or to taste)

• 2 fresh donne’ sali (or to taste)

• 2 tbsp sugar

• 4 locally grown cherry tomatoes (quartered)

• Juice of ½ (medium sized) Guam lime (or to taste)

• 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce (or to taste)

• 1/3 cup fresh local green string beans in 1 inch segments

Directions:

1. Pour sugar into a mortar of sufficient size. Add the donne’ sali and garlic cloves into the sugar.

2. Lightly pound the sugar, garlic and pepper with the pestle until they form a rough paste. In a bowl, combine the sliced string beans, shredded mango, sliced cherry tomatoes, and the sugar, garlic, and donne’ paste together.

3. Add the juice of half a lime and the fish sauce. Mix the ingredients well so the sugar crystals dissolve. Taste and adjust to your liking. The key is to balance the sweet element with the salty element (sugar and fish sauce), as well as retaining the perfect blend of hot and sour elements (donne’ and lime juice).

4. Plate up and garnish as you like, then serve immediately. This is a local twist to a classic SE Asian dish, showcasing Guam’s seasonally ubiquitous green mangoes.

- Chris Leon Guerrero

This is a delicious and nutritious snack that is perfect with chips or crackers.  I actually made this salsa to go with my delicious fish tacos.

Give my recipe a try. I think you’ll like it.

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe mangoes

• 1/2 red onion, chopped

• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

• The juice of 1 lime

• 1 teaspoon sea salt

• Optional: 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped

Directions:

1. Cut the skin off the mango. Dice the mango into 1/4-inch cubes. Place into a small mixing bowl.

2. Add the red onions and the optional jalapeño to the bowl.

3. Add the cilantro.

4. Stir to combine the ingredients. Serve with your favorite chips, crackers, or as a condiment for fish, chicken or steak tacos.  ENJOY!

– Annie’s Chamorro Kitchen

Recipe by Clayton Babas, Executive Chef, Guam Reef Hotel

Ingredients:

• 1 cup sweet chili sauce (can be bought in a local supermarket)

• 1 Tbs yellow onion

• 3 Tbs fresh mango, chopped

• 1 tsp chopped parsley

• 1/4 tsp fish sauce

Directions:

Heat ingredients together in a sauce pan, then let simmer for approximately 5 minutes. Set aside.

Yield: About 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed calamansi juice (about 4 or 5)

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 cup coconut or olive oil

• 1/2 tsp. poppy seeds

Directions:

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and whisk together. Drizzle the orangey goodness over a bed of locally grown lettuce, mango and cucumber for a delicious side salad. Add a piece of seared fresh ahi tuna on top and you’ve got dinner.

My next venture was a simple substitution of calamansi for lemon juice in one of my favorite dinner sides.

- Chris Leon Guerrero

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe local avocado, diced

• 2 sweet orange mangoes, diced

• Juice of 4 calamansi, or 1 lime

• 1 tbsp minced red onion

• 1-3 boonie peppers, seeded & minced

• Salt and pepper

• Ginger (grated or fresh)

• Cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, season the diced avocado with salt and calamansi (or lime) juice. Lightly toss in the mangoes, onion, peppers.

2. Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper and ground ginger (or a 1” piece of minced fresh ginger).

3. Add chopped cilantro (if desired – I can’t get it to grow here so mine isn’t local). Serve as an appetizer with plantain chips or as a topping for fresh fish.

- Chris Leon Guerrero

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

• 2 tsps dark rum (optional)

• 2 tsps fresh lime juice

• 2 tsps sugar

Combine mangoes, rum, lime juice and sugar. Set aside for several hours to allow flavors to develop.

• 2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

• 1 Tbs baking powder

• 1 1/2 tsps salt

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled

• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

• 3/4 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 450F. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. With a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

2. Stir in coconut. Add coconut milk, stir with a fork until dough just holds together. On a floured board, knead the dough 7 or 8 times.

3. Pat dough into a circle 1/2 inch thick. Using a 3 inch cutter, cut out 4 rounds of dough, using scraps of dough for the last one.

4. Place 1 1/2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 12 - 15 minutes.

5. 1 cup heavy cream, whipped with 1/2 teaspoon each sugar and dark rum (rum optional).

6. Prepare 4 dessert plates. Split shortcakes and place one bottom half on each plate. Spoon mango mixture over each and top with whipped cream. Replace the top of each shortcake.

Yield: 4 servings