Not-So-Forbidden Fruit

Posted by Bora, Associate Editor for Beauty, Health & Fitness

You’ve probably tried mangoes, but have you ever tried a mangosteen? It’s a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia, where it’s dubbed the “Queen of Fruit” (the stinky durian is the “King”). A while back, I came across an article and a photo of the small, purple-rinded, white-fleshed fruit in a newspaper of record, and the discovery quickly evolved into an obsession.

Why obsess over fruit? Is it that delicious? For all the fuss I’ve created, I don’t know; I’ve never tried it. (I know, boo). It has long been illegal to sell or buy mangosteens in the United States, because they may harbor pests. The good news? The fruit is now being grown on farms in Puerto Rico, and mangosteens are slowly arriving on the mainland.

I dislike the word “exotic,” but here’s an unfamiliar fruit, supposedly fragrant and tasty, and therein lies my obsession: I can’t believe that in my almost three-decades-long existence on Earth, there is a fruit I haven’t tasted. It makes me feel so sheltered. It makes me yearn to eat my way across the continents, one plucked fruit at a time. It makes me feel bored with bananas and strawberries.

So imagine my excitement when Fresh, the purveyor of beautiful, modern fragrances (and much more), effectively married one of my obsessions with another and sent over its new Mangosteen perfume. I’ve never sniffed a Fresh scent that I didn’t like, so I knew it wouldn’t disappoint, but I wasn't sure what to expect. Most fragrances with a fruit focus have notes of things I’ve eaten, like grapefruit, mandarin oranges, or plum, which, however enjoyable, are too familiar.

Here went my first spritz: It was one of the two times in my life when a fragrance made my mouth water. It hit me with bright notes of lemon bergamot and freesia, but there was something ineffable, a juicy sweetness I couldn’t place (well, ta da!). After an hour or two (my only complaint with Fresh fragrances is that they never seem to last long enough), it dried down to woody musk.

So if you want the thrill of experiencing a mangosteen, just head to a Sephora store (or the website). And maybe, sometime soon, you'll even come across actual mangosteens on a menu or in a market near you.

Comments

[moveida]

being from south east asia, i've been eating mangosteen all my life.
i used to climb my neighbors mangosteen tree to try and pluck the fruit. Not very nice, i know! but they're worth it :)

http://mangosteen-juice-everday.blogspot.com

[moveida]

being from south east asia, i've been eating mangosteen all my life.
i used to climb my neighbors mangosteen tree to try and pluck the fruit. Not very nice, i know! but they're worth it :)

http://mangosteen-juice-everday.blogspot.com

[claygeek]

im indonesian, i love this fruit so much, we call it 'manggis'
be carefull with its skin, it can leave stain on fabric

[junita]

Breaking news from this food blog I like:

http://www.skilletdoux.com/2007/08/mangosteens.html

Mangosteens will be available in the US as fruit, not frozen, starting in September.

[Xander]

I see Mangosteens everywhere here in Vietnam; piled high in shops, and sold from street-vendors baskets. I haven't tried them yet though... -X

[Alexis]

Mangosteens are delicious - the fruit is so velvety and delicate, and the taste is something like a kiwi + peach + plum ... but better! I tried them on a trip to Bali and was hooked! Yum.

[Stephanie]

I had a mangosteen once when I was little up in Vancouver, BC and remember loving it. I had completely forgotten about it though until now... thanks for the reminder! Now I'll have to initiate my own hunt...

In the meantime, we'll have to blog about the fruit we have handy...

[Maire]

Trader Joe's sell's freeze-dried Mangosteens near the trail mix section. They've had them there for a while, since at least May-ish. I don't know if they can compare to the fresh version, but they were excellent!!

http://blogs.chicagoreader.com/food/2007/07/20/mangosteens-fresh-and-otherwise/

[Linda]

SOOOO good is the mangosteen! Whenever we visit family in Taiwan we always eat as many as we can find =)

[Danielle]

A friend forwarded your site to me because I blogged about craving mangosteen while I was pregnant and could not get it!!! I tried to convince friends coming from SE Asia to smuggle a couple in for me...but alas, they weren't even in season *sigh* It remains to be my single most favorite fruit in the world! Imagine rasberries and peaches...but a bit milder...different texture...beautiful.

[Katalina]

Mangosteens are available in Canada, if you're ever north of the border. And they're delicious!

[feli]

This is number 2 in my favourite food list the stinky durian is the first :). The flesh of the mangosteen is so sweet and yummy.

[Joanna]

Hi, I just happened upon this blog today, and I wanted to tell you that mangosteen is delicious! I'm not really sure about all the health benefits that people are touting with it (I think that a lot of it is just marketing for a fruit no one's ever had), but it's one of my favorite Asian fruits ^_^ It's soft and juicy! But I'm sure me telling you about it won't help any until you try one yourself. I hope you get to soon!