Mango cup with mint and lime
Diced summer mango tossed with lime juice, zest and fresh mint, layered over yoghurt — bright and fragrant, a lift for low spirits on a close, muggy afternoon.
- 10 min
- Serves 2
- Toss
- Easy
Why it suits you: The Summer Solstice is close and muggy, and a Qi-Stagnation constitution, already prone to pent-up emotions, grows more irritable and tight-chested in the heat. Mint is pungent and cool and soothes the liver, lime zest lifts the mood and moves qi, and with in-season mango it makes a refreshing snack that perks you up and whets the appetite.
Method
Prep 10 min · Cook 0 min- 1Dice the mango flesh. Finely grate a little lime zest, then juice the lime. Rinse the mint, chop half and keep the rest for garnish.
- 2Gently toss the mango with the lime juice and zest, chopped mint and honey, and leave for 5 minutes.
- 3Spoon the yoghurt into glasses, top with the mango and finish with mint leaves. Eat straight away.
Cautions
- Mango can trigger allergies, so take care if you have sensitive skin or eczema; if your digestion runs cold, don't eat it chilled.
Chef's tips
- Leave out the yoghurt if you prefer: mango with mint and lime is lovely on its own.
The TCM view
Mango is sweet, sour and slightly cool, benefiting the stomach, generating fluids and easing nausea. Mint is pungent and cool, dispersing wind-heat, soothing the liver and moving qi; lime is sour, cool and aromatic, regulating qi and stimulating the appetite. Together they soothe the liver with fragrance and ease thirst, relieving the low mood and chest tightness of Qi Stagnation in sultry weather.
