And why is that? You would think that the trappings of the 21st century—air travel, industrial fertilizer, climate control—would be the keys to taking this tropical fruit global. And yet, not only would you be wrong, but you'd be wading into the complex world of fruit logistics that says as much about the mangosteen as it does about us. In , the New York Times reported on the difficult process of growing mangosteens in the U.
I had no idea how long that dream had been around. In fact, until about three years ago, I had never even heard of a mangosteen. Like anyone, I initially assumed it was a cousin of the mango with a slightly different name for some Ellis Island-like reason no one could remember.
Department of Agriculture, that I realized the mangosteen was nothing like a mango. And amid the thousands of plants he officially introduced to the U. And to understand why, you first have to understand why we eat the fruits that we do. Of the thousands, even millions, of edible plants on Earth, why do our supermarkets feature the same few, like apples, oranges, and bananas? They must grow reliably.
They must be quickly harvested. They must ripen fast and ship well, without bruising too much. They need to last a few days before going moldy on the kitchen counter or the back of the refrigerator. Every fruit and vegetable in the modern supermarket meets this criteria. Fruits like strawberries , lemons, and pineapples are the lucky one percent—the ones endowed with good pedigree and bred for their ability to survive the perils of the produce aisle. The mangosteen, however, has almost none of these attributes.
That leaves the easily bruised fruit beginning to degrade the moment it leaves the field. It turns out, the answer is yes, particularly when imported from Southeast Asia. The U. Department of Agriculture requires all mangosteens imported to the U.
Which brings us back to and that New York Times article envisioning the approaching mangosteen boom. It also happens to be the national fruit of Thailand.
Purple in colour, the fruit has a white fleshy pulp, segmented with seeds. While the scientific name of the fruit is Garcinia mangostana , in a varied country like India, the much loved fruit is popular and consumed under the names of Mangustan Hindi , Kaattampi Malayalam , Kokam Marathi , Hannu Kannada and Kao Bengali. The tropical fruit has won the fancy of many chefs and home cooks for its refreshingly tangy flavour, including that of Queen Victoria of Britain.
Legend has it that Queen Victoria had kept a reward price of pounds sterling to whosoever would bring her the fresh purple mangosteen.
On the other hand, the mangosteen fruit was banned by the U. Delicious, juicy and brimming with multiple health benefits, here's how this tropical fruit can help you - 1.
It's the size of a tennis ball, with a firm shell that is deep purple. This unique fruit has a sweet flavor and very soft texture and is rich in antioxidants and micronutrients. It can be found in Asian food stores and markets. Good mangosteens have healthy-looking green caps and a nice glossy sheen on their outer skins. The fruit should be firm and have no cracks. Make sure the fruit is bug-free, and do not buy fruit that has hardened beads of yellow resin on the outer rinds as those often contain sections that have suffered from resin seepage.
To open your mangosteen, hold it firmly on its side and make a cut with a serrated knife. The older the mangosteen, the harder the skin will be a sawing action may be needed. You do not want to cut all the way through to the middle. If you do not have a knife, you can hold the mangosteen between your two palms and squeeze your hands to crush the purple shells.
Once the shells are cracked, you should be able to peel them off. Just keep in mind this way is messier and may result in the internal sections getting crushed, releasing some of the juice. Once you have cut around the entire fruit, try prying it open with your fingers or gently pulling apart each half with your hands, similar to opening an avocado. If you cannot do this, or cannot see the white of the fruit, you have not cut deeply enough.
Pull away the skin to reveal the white mangosteen fruit. If a little of the purple shell of the mangosteen sticks to the fruit, leave it be; this deep purple skin is full of antioxidants and valuable micronutrients.
Good mangosteens have sections that are opaque white, firm, and not translucent or yellowish. Mangosteen fruit looks similar to an orange in that it has internal sections. Simply use your fingers to pull the sections apart from one another.
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