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1
Select mangoes that are fully green and unyielding to pressure. Peel and slice into spears or wedges of uniform thickness. The flesh should be pale green, firm, and release a sharp, resinous aroma — not the honeyed scent of a ripe fruit.
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2
Arrange the slices on a plate or pack them into a paper bag in the corner-store manner. Measure the li hing mui powder into a small packet or dish set alongside. This is where the dish lives or dies: the fruit must be tart. Sweet, ripe mango collapses the balance — the sour-salt of the powder has nothing to amplify. The tartness of the unripe fruit is not a preference; it is the mechanism.
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3
Dip each slice into the powder immediately before eating, or sprinkle the powder over the arranged fruit. The correct amount is enough to coat the cut face without obscuring it. The surface should show reddish-brown against pale green — the taste is simultaneously tart, sweet, sour, and salty, each element sharpening the others.