PrintMangosteens in the U.S.
I'm somewhat glad that I don't know what mangosteens taste like; otherwise I might shell out $11 just for one piece of the fruit primarily grown in Thailand. Gersh Kuntzman only indulged in two pieces at a gourmet greengrocer in Brooklyn, lest he wanted to refinance his house. Although Kuntzman happily tore into his $45-a-pound fruit, his wife was less impressed:
"Face it, at $45 a pound, this mangosteen should come in a limousine with a chauffer who also cleans our kitchen. Besides, the joy of eating a mangosteen is eating it in Thailand. Imagine sending a Bagel Hole bagel to your brother in North Carolina. It’s not even worth the bother."
I think I'll skip out on trying a mangosteen stateside for now—it gives me all the more reason for me to visit Thailand.
Of course, if you do want to try them Stateside, shipments of Puerto Rico–grown mangosteens started arriving on these shores earlier this month. (Those grown in Thailand are banned from the U.S. because of concerns over insect infestation.)
The season is short, and only two outlets have distribution deals—Melissa's World Variety Produce in Los Angeles and Baldor in New York City.
Photograph from DiemThuyen on Flickr
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11 Comments:
The mangosteen is probably one my favorite fruit of all time. I used to eat lots of 'em as a kid in Malaysia. Perhaps nostalgia is playing a big part of it. I think some people sell a mangosteen juice here. I saw it at the random Southern California health food store. Looks for it. Ahh Here we go... I've never tried it so I have no idea if it even tastes like the real thing. http://www.xango.com/
lysine at 6:44PM on 08/17/07
Oh, I'd much rather eat the actual fruit. There's something almost...carnal...about biting one's fingers into that thick purple skin and forcibly splitting the fruit open to release its heady perfume....then seizing and devouring those silky, snowy, slippery segments inside. And ah, heavens, no nectar of the gods ever played so distractingly on the tongue.
miso at 2:31AM on 08/18/07
i was recently in malaysia......a buck for a kilo on these bitches....
Kbear919 at 3:19AM on 08/18/07
sorry for cussing...
Kbear919 at 3:21AM on 08/18/07
robyn- mangosteens are incredible, but then again, so are most tropical fruits. the taste is sweet and floral, but the best part is the texture- each segment is slippery and juicy with a chewy meaty part in the middle. that they are charging $11 per fruit is maddening since they're uber cheap in asia. at most asian grocery stores though, you can find frozen whole mangosteens for about $5-6 a bag. of course, the texture is lacking than the fresh stuff, but the flavor is at least preserved. give it a try!
curiously ravenous at 1:17PM on 08/18/07
How's this for a point of trivia about the mangosteen (which i really really love) ... If you turn the fruit over you'll see what looks like a flat spread of "hard petals" on the bottom center of the fruit.
The number of petals on the bottom is equal to the number of seeds inside!
(The more the better- because it means the seeds are smaller so you have more of the sweet white flesh to eat!)
brinjal at 12:42PM on 08/19/07
Oh yeah ... mangosteens are NOT CHEAP in Asia either. Really!
brinjal at 12:43PM on 08/19/07
hmmm... they were selling at $1.50 for 2.2 pounds back in Singapore when I left =)
I beg to differ on "the joy of eating mangosteens is in eating them in Thailand" though... there is joy in eating mangosteens (and lychees, longans, jackfruit, guavas, etc.) wherever one can get one's hands on them!
onedaylingers at 6:45PM on 08/19/07
Alright, it sounds like I need me some mangosteen action!
...When I go to Asia (haven't been there for about 9 years). Yes. It will happen. All that money I save by not buying $45 per pound mangosteens will go to my Asia-travel fund.
roboppy at 2:00AM on 08/20/07
Wow - I found them in Calgary (Canada) this weekend for 5.95/pound. We bought some a while ago, and they were good - but not worth that price and certainly not worth $45 per pound! I'm sure they'd be much, much better in Thailand.
Peasantwench at 11:50AM on 08/20/07
I was near The Orchard (1367 Coney Island Avenue, b/n Avenues J and K, Brooklyn) this weekend and stopped by to see if they had any. No dice. They had some the weekend of the 11th and said they'd just put in for an order and might be getting them in toward the middle of this week. Call before you head out there: 718-377-1799
Adam Kuban at 12:27PM on 08/20/07