The Fruit of Angels

Mangosteens are easily my favorite fruit discovery in Asia.  I could eat them every day.  Many of the fruits in Southeast Asia are available in the US, but mangosteens are one I had never tried until traveling in this region of the world.

The exterior is eggplant purple and approximately the size and shape of a large tangerine.  The mangosteen has a thick hard exterior similar to a pomegranate.  It is possible to peel it using only your fingernails, but many opt for cutting it off with a knife.  The tough outer shell surrounds a pomegranate-pink bitter pith.  The exterior is easily removed once the skin has been broken to reveal the delicate fruit.

The fleshy white interior is the size and shape of the meat of a tangerine.  It is divided into five to six segments and has a viscous feel reminiscent of a lychee fruit in texture or a peeled grape.  In the five to six segments there is usually one seed, which is inedible, but the others practically melt in your mouth.The flavor of the mangosteen is hard to compare to any other fruit.  It is light, sweet delicate, and perfected by a delicious tang.  I generally like fruits with divided into six segments and has a viscous feel reminiscent of a lychee fruit in texture or a peeled grape.  In the six segments there is usually one seed, which is inedible, but the others practically melt in your mouth.The flavor of the mangosteen is hard to compare to any other fruit.  It has a light almost gauzy sweet flavor, heightened by a delicious overtone of tang.  I generally like fruits with bold bright almost overpowering flavors like passion fruit, but the mangosteen’s subtle flavor is the demure Asian answer to the fiery South American passion fruit.  The mangosteen’s delightful medley of flavor dances in your mouth and leaves you wanting more.   Eating it is a delightful sensation, like angels wings brushing your tongue. I highly recommend trying mangosteens if you ever have the opportunity and hope that they make their way to US grocery stores in the coming years.
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