I think I've heard of mangosteens before, at least I've heard the name. Apparently, though, the tropical fruit is all the rage in Japan.
According to this post from InventorSpot, mangosteens, or juice drinks made from them, are very popular in Japan right now because they're supposed to be high in antioxidants and ward off cancer in mice (though that hasn't been tested in humans).
Mangosteens are originally from Thailand, but they're difficult to export from the region because they are so preishable. Also, the tree can only be grown in tropical climates. Those factors make even pureés made from Mangosteens pretty expensive anywhere outside of Southeast Asia.
Now that I know a little more about the fruit I'm curious about it. Have any of you had mangosteen? What do you think about it?
6-22-2008 @5:16PM Andrea said... They have a smootie with this in it at Smoothie King. It was pretty tasty, sort of like a tart strawberry.
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6-22-2008 @5:23PM Andrea said... They have a smoothie with this in it at Smoothie King. It was pretty tasty, sort of like a tart strawberry.
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6-22-2008 @6:29PM Alyssa C. said... There's a juice made by Apple & Eve called Mango Mangosteen, and it's a blend of concentrates and purees (mango and mangosteen, plus apple and grape), but it's the only time I've seen the fruit in anything. The juice is a little too sweet for me but I have the feeling that is only because it is one of those processed juices with loads of added sugar.
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6-23-2008 @5:23PM Marcy said... I have had them in Thailand, they are so good. The flesh is soft and has a peachy flavor.
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6-22-2008 @7:38PM defense my rights said... Mangosteen juice is basically a scam. Sure it has antioxidants but so do many vegetables. MAYBE you should just eat healthy instead of buying expensive fruit?
Also XANGO tries to sell juice at 50 a bottle in a kind of MLM scheme.
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6-22-2008 @8:04PM Jim said... Mangosteens are the "queen of fruits". There are actually two growing seasons: one season in Thailand and the other in Australia. And, apparently, there has been some luck growing them in California while skirting some kind of law against it. I don't recall the details.
You can find Mangosteens all over the place in Vancouver at just about any decent Chinese grocery store. The problem is that they're always old, wrinkled and dark purple, rather than bright, shiny and reddish-purple. They're the dregs of the crop, but they're amazingly good.
Avoid the mangosteen juice you might get pitched. Apparently, it's one of the fad items being shucked by multi-level marketers (read: pyramid schemes).
But if you can find some mangosteens, try 'em. They're awesome, and hard to describe.
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6-22-2008 @8:31PM James said... Ate plenty of them while I was living in Singapore. That and durian. :)
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6-22-2008 @9:30PM kim said... Trader Joe's sells freeze-dried mangosteens. Very yummy.
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6-22-2008 @9:44PM alli said... I found mangosteens at a gourmet-type grocery store here in south TX. Here's some photos of my experience..
http://flickr.com/photos/allikazoo/tags/mangosteen/
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6-22-2008 @10:15PM cchou222 said... I just came back from a trip to Thailand and had this fruit for the first time. It's ridiculously juicy for something so tiny. It has a very interesting texture and taste. One thing to note is that the skin has it's own juices which the locals said are used to make red dye. Unless you're very careful, trying to peel the fruit will only get the juice/dye on clothing and your hands; it doesnt fade. If you push down on the ends like you would to open a peanut, the fruit will blossom open for you.
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6-22-2008 @10:15PM Chris said... I think the health benefits may be in the hard outer skin. I read that people boil that for teas. The inside doesn't look like an antioxidant powerhouse. It's just pale fruit. Still, if you can get a good one, go for it. My buddy is of Vietnamese heritage and says they are the best thing on earth.
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6-22-2008 @10:45PM Jenn said... There's a Naked brand juice with mangosteens in it. Peach Mangosteen Bliss. It's quite delicious.
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6-23-2008 @3:52AM Kari said... I live in Singapore and Mangosteens are one of my favourite fruits. I always look forward to Mangosteen season. If you eat mangosteens, be careful not to get any of the juices onto your clothes, as the juice would turn brown and its impossible to remove.
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6-23-2008 @3:53AM Kari said... I live in Singapore and Mangosteens are one of my favourite fruits. I
always look forward to Mangosteen season. If you eat mangosteens, be
careful not to get any of the juices onto your clothes, as the juice
would turn brown and its impossible to remove.
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6-23-2008 @5:03AM Spike said... Mangosteens are one reason why I cannot live in the US anymore.
The late Johnny Apple wrote a classic article about them in the New York Times in 2003, "Forbidden Fruit: Something About a Mangosteen."
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9800E3DB163DF937A1575AC0A9659C8B63&scp=2&sq=mangosteen&st=nyt
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6-23-2008 @7:48AM Ander Garmendia said... I live in Colombia and I have known Mangosteens since I was a little kid (I am 40 now). They are grown mainly around a town called "Mariquita", in the state of "Tolima". You can find them all year round in Colombia.
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6-23-2008 @10:43AM JMForester said... I've had mangosteens in Asia before, but until last week I never saw them in the US. Then I was in NYC's Chinatown and came across them. A bit expensive at #10 lb. or $2.50 each, but they are tasty. I think they are almost as good as fresh lychee.
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6-23-2008 @1:48PM Narmeen said... Mangosteen are really yumm, I used to have them every year back in India. I have never seen one in US, but would grab them if I do. They taste amazing when they are chilled.
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6-24-2008 @11:11PM godote said... hi. im from Indonesia.
Magosteen in Indonesia is called as "Buah Manggis" (Manggis Fruit)
I have the trees, it was there allready before i was born (im 35).
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