Mangosteen

The queen of fruits. I'd never seen one, until today, at the International store. It was quite expensive, as befitting a member of the royal family, but I couldn't resist bringing one home.


The red queen
The red queen



Having partaken of one, all I can say is that the hype is well-deserved.

The fruit is a symphony of color and flavor. The rich red-purple coat when removed reveals plump white arils. Pop one in your mouth and it explodes on the tongue, belying its pure whiteness with a rainbow of flavors- mango, pineapple, lychee- I stopped counting and let myself go.

Excuse me while I go breathe into a paper bag. If you find  a mangosteen on the way, grab it!


p.s. This has got to go to Click- bi-colour.



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Emjay
[this is good]
Fabulous post! Great photo and a description that I can taste.
Waterbaby
Very interesting. There are quite a lot of Web sites on the mangosteen too, I just discovered. I'll keep my eyes peeled for one.
faithy
[this is good]
Photo is soo well taken! Lots of mangosteen here cos they always come together with durian, the king of fruits....and they are both in season now...come to Asia for visit..:)
homebody
[this is good]
What a beautiful photo and description. I've heard the term but had no idea what a mangosteen was. Now I'm hoping to find one in my local international market.
Waterbaby
@homebody - here's a beautiful picture
Lakshmi
Never heard of it. Guess you don't get it in this part of the world, huh?
homebody
Thanks so much, Waterbaby! Oh, it is beautiful - they look like little plump baby eggplants!
Purplesque
Glad you liked it- I wish I could get more, but haven't had a chance to go grocery shopping again. They were lovely!
Purplesque
:D Yes, I hadn't quite realized the reputation it enjoys. Justly deserved, of course.
Purplesque
Oo..how I wish. I saw this episode of Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern in Thailand and even with all his bizarreness, there were enough temptations in there! I would love to travel to all of SE Asia..
Purplesque
I hope you find them- my sister reported seeing some at the H Mart in Tacoma- she did not get them because she wasn't sure how to eat them! Now I know- peel and eat. :)
Purplesque
Mangosteens are tropical- I never saw them in India, though. A little more to the east- Thailand, Indonesia..
faithy
I'm also a fan of Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods! LOL!
Waterbaby
Scratched my head 'cause I live in Tacoma and had never seen this place, then Google revealed it's in Federal Way (city north of Tacoma) and, man, bargains and Asian goodies galore! Thanks for the mention!
Vijay
We get mangosteens aka mangustans in Coimbatore. They grow in the Nilgiris & the Kodaikanal hills. Purplesque's photo is superb. As is her description of the taste. I agree completely. If you see one, grab it. Don't think of sharing.
Purplesque
*embarrassed* I can't stop watching the man. Even though he deliberately seeks out the gross, a lot of travel/food info on the shows is accurate, and the mix of travel+bizarreness works.
Purplesque
Ah yes, Federal Way. They also have lots and lots of cheap delicious Asian greens.
Purplesque
Good to know that! I'd have been surprised if they hadn't been available in some part of India, and I bet they are a lot cheaper too. (Haven't seen a fruit/vegetable so far that can't be found in India.)

Thanks about the photo. I wanted to capture the color and texture contrast between the peel and the fruit.
Lakshmi
ArE, we live in hot hot Chennai. No Mangustan will make it here. But yes, I'll keep an eye out for it.
Singing Horse
[this is good]
I bet I'll love this fruit. Unfortunately, I haven't seen it anywhere here yet.
Waterbaby
That and much more including Asian wares and clothing. I've read it described as an Asian Walmart. Funny 'cause in the past year or so, before reading it here, I'd seen H-Mart mentioned elsewhere and thought "I must get up t here" ... but I've just no reason to go to Federal Way, perhaps it's the problems with gangs and crime that puts me off, lol ... but now after reading the local commentary, I see I simply must get there, if and when I have employment and money again.
Jabulani
Shame on you. You must always share!!!! Most particularly with ME first... ;)
Jabulani
[this is good]
That's it; I'm telling my husband (who owns a farm shop selling all sorts of exotic goodies) that he'll have to find some of these!!! Until then, I'm adding it to my online supermarket shop this evening!!!
bee
gorgeous. thank you.
Purplesque
Can you buy mangosteens online? That is so cool!

( I love the fact that your husband as an exotic farm shop- okay, that did not come out quite right- but I'd love to have a farm shop sometime in the future!)
Lakshmi
Purp, when you have a farm shop, I hope you'd ship stuff to an exclusive address in Chennai. I'll have a credit card ready by then.
LondonYankee
[this is good]
the photo is excellent and now I want to try one! :)
Jabulani
Grrrr... no I couldn't find mangosteens on my supermarket's online shop. But I did tell hubby about them and he's going to check and find out. I shall let you know how I get on ... I did however, put in my order for the ingredients for baklava and gooseberry creme fraiche tart ... now I just have to find time to make them! Busy week next week...

BOL. Maybe we should more correctly say he has a shop which sells some exotic produce!!!!
Purplesque
Its a deal. :)
Purplesque
It was delightful- I hope you get to try one soon!
Purplesque
Gooseberry tart..I can't help saying that over and over again! lol

I hope hubby can get some mangosteens for you.

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