CAREFULLY mince the habanero pepper. Wear gloves if you have them. Remove seeds and membranes for less heat, or keep some for maximum fire.
Finely dice the red onion and chop the cilantro.
Combine mango, habanero, red onion, and cilantro in a bowl.
Add lime juice, salt, and honey. Stir gently to combine.
Let sit for 10-15 minutes to allow flavors to marry. Taste carefully and adjust seasoning.
Chef's Notes
Habaneros clock in at 100,000-350,000 Scoville units, which means they've essentially weaponized sunshine. Find them at any grocery store in the fresh pepper section, though Latin markets often have better specimens with that signature lantern shape intact. Wear gloves when handling, or spend the next four hours deeply regretting every time you touch your face. The heat varies wildly even within the same batch, so taste a tiny sliver before committing (some habaneros are gentle whispers of pain, others are full operatic arias). For mango, you want Ataulfo (also called Champagne or honey mango) for its buttery sweetness and minimal fiber, though Tommy Atkins works if that's what's available. A ripe mango yields slightly to pressure and smells fragrant at the stem end. The tropical fruit actually bonds chemically with capsaicin to calm the burn, which is either food science or proof that the Taco Gods smile upon this pairing. Some ancient scrolls suggest the first habanero was actually a tiny piece of the sun that fell to Earth and was adopted by a kindly pepper plant. Those scrolls are probably fake, but we choose to believe.
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