Mangosteen

Mangosteen:

Mangosteen is the fruit of an evergreen tree that is grown primarily in hot climates of southeast Asia, such as Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Ripened mangosteen is a reddish purple fruit about 2 to 3 inches in diamater, roughly the same size as a mandarin orange. The fruit tastes like between an orange and a peach, but fairly sweet, with a texture similar to plum. Mangosteens are either eat raw or add into salads.

Mangosteen

Other names:

Garcinia mangostana L., mangostan, manggis, mangis, mang cut.

Provide:

When is season, mangosteen is available in Asian markets, and sometimes in supermarkets and grocery stores.

Purchasing tips:

When shopping, select firm fruits that are dark purple rather than blue-black in color, the stem and leaves should be green and fresh rather than yellow. Avoid mangosteens that have blotchy-looking skin, indicating age. Although they are a tad expensive, mangosteens are well worth the money.

Storage:

Store at room temperature and eat within a few days. Do not refrigerate.

Preparation and Usage:

Make a cut around the middle of the fruit with a sharp knife, then pry open with both hands, now you may find the orange segment-like white flesh inside, you can either eat it raw or add into salads, and enjoy the sweet opaque white flesh.

Nutritional and Health Benefits:

Mangosteen is a delicious sweet and juicy fruit that offers numerous health benefits- both the fruit and the purple hard skins are rich in alpha-mangostin, beta-mangostin, garcinone B, and garcinone E, which serve as disease-fighting antioxidants, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antiseptic properties, but the amounts of these nutrients is much less than some traditional fruits like apple, and oranges.