The mangosteen is known as the "queen of fruits." It is a tropical fruit that has a citrusy, peachy flavor and grows in sections, much like tangerines, though they are not actually citrus fruits (they are classified as arils). Each section of the Mangosteens comes in a thick, purple rind, but the fruit itself is nearly colorless.
Although the mangosteen is sometimes considered with the class of functional foods known as "superfoods," along with blueberries and acai, it really doesn't fit into the category. It does not have anywhere near the antioxidant content of those foods and no studies exist that support the claim that mangosteens play a healing or preventative role in any illness/condition.
It is extremely difficult to find mangosteens in the US, although there is one company attempting to grown them on US soil. If you want to give them a try, your best bet is to travel to South East Asia to look for fresh ones or to look at specialty grocery stores for freeze-dried mangosteens, like the pictured bag that I found at Trader Joe's.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-10-2007 @ 12:19PM
affidavid said...
am i the only person who thought that this fruit was mooning me from the package?
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3-10-2007 @ 1:09PM
john said...
I thought maybe it was a cross between a mango, and a langostine.
You know, a crustacean with small claws and a sweet, pulpy yellow center.
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3-10-2007 @ 9:20PM
Stanley Fong said...
I have seen them grown in orchards down in Homestead, Florida. I used to eat them as a kid, and the fruit is sweet and comparable to Lychees, but firmer.
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3-11-2007 @ 1:49PM
Chris said...
No, affidavid, you weren't the only one. :o)
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3-11-2007 @ 10:42PM
CandyPandora said...
I can't believe they're coming to America. Best news I've heard all week.
To me, mangosteens have more of a berry taste than citrus- like peachy raspberry maybe? Bottom line-- it's the most f'in awesome fruit there is!
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3-12-2007 @ 10:55AM
aw said...
Mangosteens come into season the same time as durians, the King of Fruits. Hence mangosteens are the Queen of Fruits. :)
They're super, I can eat 10 of them at one go. The purple outer shell looks hard, but it's soft and squishy. To eat a mangosteen, you pull off the stem, then squeeze this squishy shell until it cracks open, revealing the edible white flesh inside, sectioned like an orange. Mmmmmmmmmm, yummy. Have to be careful with the shells though - they ooze a red wine-like liquid that's very hard to get off clothing.
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3-12-2007 @ 3:30PM
NoisySky said...
I have found them frozen at a local asian grocery (Buford Highway in Atlanta). They tasted too much like grapefruit for my taste, but maybe that's what freezing does to them.
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3-13-2007 @ 4:23PM
Zelnox said...
You can buy them "fresh" in Asian supermarkets in Canada (I've had them in Montreal and Toronto). I'm surprised they aren't as available in the US.
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3-14-2007 @ 4:47PM
talida said...
awesome! I only get to eat them when I'm visiting relatives in Bangkok, which only happens every few years.
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4-01-2007 @ 9:39PM
Cameron said...
I disagree completely, when you say their is no Medical Studies that exist claiming the Medical Health Benefits of the fruit....There are ACTUAL Western Medical Science studies, in Medical journals that show the Xanthones (antioxidant)have healing and many health benefits.
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5-26-2007 @ 10:43PM
pbpmom3 said...
Th Acai Berry is the # 1 superfood according to Dr. Perricone. You can drink it in Monavie which contains 18 other fruits. There is 30 times the antioxidant in a daily serving of the juice (2oz) than in a glass of red wine.
Check it out: www.mymonavie.com/gregandaurorarichard
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