While durian is almost always considered the King of fruit. With its smell of hell and paradise-like taste, people in South East Asia like to express the grandness of durian. In comparison, the mangosteen(mang – kut in Thai) is much more subtle and delicate. The fruit degraded so fast that someone spread a rumour that Queen Victoria intended to grant knighthood to anyone who brought her one successfully. The story, whether real or not, was enough to earn the mangosteen the widespread caption as “the queen of fruits.”
The appearance of the Queen of fruits
Mangosteen reputes as a super fruit due to its qualities for health. The antioxidants are actually in the peel. The only annoying thing with mangosteen is probably that purple-reddish peel colour that easily sticks onto your clothes and can be challenging to wash off.
Peeled, it looks kind of like white orange. The fruit itself tastes sweet with a very subtle bitter aftertaste. The number of brown petals at the bottom of the fruit indicates the number of segments. Among the pulp segments, only one or two are significant and have larger seeds.
Frequently westerners struggle with durian, but mangosteen is easily loved at first bite.
One aspect that mangosteen share with durian is the high expectations of perfection when it comes to appearance. The most admirable samples are often exported abroad to nearby neighbouring countries. However, there has been importing restrictions in Western governments out of concern of the Asian fruit fly.
Some of the very best mangosteens in Thailand arguably comes from the Eastern Coastland. Chantaburi is the capital of durian, longan, mangosteen and rambutan. The so-called big four.
But also, the Southern province of Nakorn Sri Thammarat is famous for its 100 years old trees and individually handpicked fruits. Some people say that you should have mangosteens after eating durian to cancel out the oily taste from the King of fruits.
The intricacy of the mangosteens from Nakhon Si Thammarat is sweet, crunchy, fragrant, and refreshing. The perfect balance of acid and sweetness.
The origins of Mangosteen
The Latin name of the fruit is Garcinia mangostana. Apparently, it originated, most botanists assume, in Malaysia or the Sunda Islands of Indonesia. Fruits develop on unhurried growing evergreen trees with glossy, dark green leaves and pyramid-shaped crowns.
At maturity, the trees, which need colossal humidity and massive rainfall, can reach up to 9 – 10 meters in height and generate up to 1,000 fruits a year.
Mangosteens grows best in South East Asia for sure.
A whole box of these delicate fruits just arrived, sent from a friend in Chantaburi. One day later, hardly any remains.
A taste of paradise without the smell of hell!