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HUB 03 · Guides

How to Cut a Mango

The trick is knowing where the flat pit hides. Slice the cheeks off around it, score a grid, and pop out perfect cubes — the classic hedgehog method.

By Stephen V.Updated How we choose
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Mangoes seem awkward because the pit is large, flat and hidden, and it does not want to let go of the flesh. Once you know how the pit sits, the whole thing takes under a minute — and the classic "hedgehog" method gives you neat cubes with no peeling and no mess. All you need is a sharp knife and a steady board.

Find the pit first

A mango's pit is a large, flat oval that runs vertically through the center, aligned with the fruit's flatter side. Stand the mango on end, stem-side up, with the thin, flat edge facing you. The pit is widest in that plane — so you cut alongside it, just off center, not through it. Knowing this is the whole trick; everything else is easy.

Step by step

How to do it

  1. 01

    Stand the mango up and slice off the first cheek

    Hold the mango upright on the board, stem-end up, with the narrow flat side facing you. Slice down about a centimeter to one side of the center line to take off a whole 'cheek', letting your knife glide just past the flat pit.

  2. 02

    Slice off the second cheek

    Turn the mango and repeat on the other side of the pit to remove the second cheek. You'll be left with the two rounded cheeks and a flat center section with the pit.

  3. 03

    Score each cheek in a grid

    Take a cheek flesh-side up and cut a crosshatch grid into the flesh - down to but not through the skin. Space the cuts as wide as you want your cubes. Be careful not to cut through the skin into your hand.

  4. 04

    Push it inside-out and cut off the cubes

    Push the skin side of the cheek up with your thumbs so it turns inside-out and the scored flesh pops up like a hedgehog. Slice the cubes off close to the skin, or eat them straight off.

  5. 05

    Rescue the flesh around the pit

    Trim the skin off the flat center section and carefully slice the remaining flesh away from the pit - it's the cook's reward. Peel and slice it if you want tidy pieces.

Which knife and why sharpness matters

A ripe mango is soft and slippery, so a sharp blade is what keeps this safe — a dull knife skids across the taut skin instead of biting it, exactly like it does on a tomato. A medium knife works well: a chef's or utility knife for the cheeks, and a smaller blade is fine for scoring. Keep your guiding hand clear when you score the grid — the danger point is cutting through the skin into your palm, so score on the board or hold the cheek flat, not cupped in your hand.

Ripe or firm?

A ripe mango gives slightly to a gentle squeeze and smells fragrant at the stem — that is when the hedgehog method works best and the cubes pop cleanly. A firmer, less ripe mango is easier to handle but harder to score neatly; either way, a keen edge does the work. As with every cut on this site, the real secret is a sharp knife — it makes the whole job faster, cleaner and safer.

Questions

Frequently asked

How do you cut a mango into cubes?

Slice the two cheeks off either side of the flat central pit, score each cheek in a crosshatch grid down to (not through) the skin, then push the skin side up so it turns inside-out and the cubes pop out. Slice them off close to the skin. It's called the hedgehog method.

Where is the pit in a mango?

It's a large, flat oval running vertically through the center, aligned with the fruit's flatter side. Stand the mango up with the narrow flat edge facing you and cut just off-center on each side to slide your knife past the pit.

What knife is best for cutting a mango?

A sharp chef's or utility knife for slicing the cheeks; a smaller blade is fine for scoring. Sharpness matters most — a ripe mango is slippery and a dull knife skids. See chef knife vs utility knife.

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