Unripe, sour fruit that would otherwise be inedible raw, like green mango, is the preferred base, since the vinegar-and-pepper seasoning is built to work against underripe tartness.
Sliced green mango, pineapple, or other fruit is tossed with vinegar, garlic, salt, and scotch bonnet pepper into a sharp, sweet-sour snack, scooped into small bags by street vendors.
Why it's made this way: Port of Spain's dense street-vendor network made fruit chow an everyday grab-and-go snack, sold on nearly every downtown corner during the workday.