[Sca-cooks] OOP - Green Peppers and Mangoes

[kingstaste at mindspring.com]

Also from this week's Food Reference Ezine -
Christianna


AN UPDATE ON MANGOS AND GREEN PEPPERS

GREEN PEPPERS AND MANGOS
     The word ‘mango’ is used in some areas to refer to green peppers or
stuffed green peppers. Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois
and Missouri are all states that I have received e-mails about grandparents,
parents and even current usage of ‘mango’ for green pepper.
     Recent information I have come across (thanks in part to an e-mail from
website visitor Richard Clark) I believe explains how and why the usage of
the word spread along the path it did. Usage of 'mango' for green peppers
seems to have originated with coal miners in eastern Pennsylvania (1870s
+) - and spread with the mining industries, and then with the miners
families as they migrated to new areas and found new jobs.
     But why the word 'mango' for green peppers? Many of these coal miners
were of Eastern European origin, and it has been suggested that the word may
have a Slovak origin.
     The English 'dialect' of the Appalachian region with its unique
pronunciation, grammar, and word usage is due in large part to the
immigration of miners, engineers and others from so many countries coming
together in one area and being relatively isolated in the small mining
towns.
     They came from Russia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Germany,
Scotland, Wales, Greece, Turkey, and Syria to name a few - so the word
'mango' might have been adapted from one of these languages.
   Also, in many old cookbooks, 'mango' would sometimes be used to refer to
a pickle, especially of melons or cucumber (resembling pickled green mango?)
     'Mango' was also a term sometimes used to refer to  cantaloupe in many
old cookbooks).
     So now the question is, are there words in any Eastern European
languages for melon and/or green peppers that may sound like ‘mango’?


----------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------TRIVIA-----------------------------

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest ever grown
weighed 10 lbs 14 oz and was grown by V. Throup of Silsden, England.

----------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------ANCIENT & CLASSIC RECIPES-------------------

GREEN PEPPER MANGOES
'The Original White House Cook Book' (1887)

“Select firm, sound, green peppers, and add a few red ones,as they are
ornamental and look well upon the table. With a sharp knife remove the top,
take out the seed, soak over night in salt water, then fill with chopped
cabbage and green tomatoes, seasoned with salt, mustard seed and ground
cloves.  Sew on the top. Boil vinegar sufficient to cover them, with a cup
of brown sugar, and pour over the mangoes.  Do this three mornings, then
seal.”