Thai Fruit Primer

Mangosteen (Mangkhud) Scientific name: Garcinia mangostana Season:

The ripe mangosteen is dark red and tastes best if harvested before turning purple or blue-black. It does not ripen post-harvest. Unlike many other tropical fruit, which have a somewhat musky flavour, the mangosteen appeals to almost all, without a learning period.

To open the fruit, cut through the skin only, and lightly pull and twist the fruit apart. Experienced mangosteen eaters use their thumb to pry out the dried flower parts (sessile stigma) and then break the fruit open.

About a third of the fruit is edible and this part consists of 4 to 8 white to pinkish juicy segments. The precise number is indicated by the remnant flower parts on the front of the shell.

A greater number of segments the less chance of seeds. The seeds can be boiled or roasted and eaten. The fruit's taste is delicate, sweet-sour, and the pulp seems to melt in the mouth.

The fruit will keep for a few days without refrigeration. Storage at 10ºC is ideal and extends shelf life to about 20 days. Refrigeration causes cold damage. To minimise this, wrap fruit in newspaper and store it in the upper part of a refrigerator, but away from cooling coils. Freezing the fruit whole is also satisfactory.

Purple mangosteen trees have only female flowers and pollen fertilisation is not required. The fruit contains up to three seeds. These are composed of reproductive female flesh, which could still germinate when cut apart. Trees are very slow growing and rarely fruit before they are ten years old. Additionally, the cultural requirements are stringent, further reducing the supply of fruit.

The yellow mangosteens are much easier trees to grow and bring to fruiting than the (purple) mangosteen. There are several species of yellow mangosteen, including the mundu (G. dulcis), the kochin goroka (G. xanthochymus) and the asam gelugur (G. atroviridis). They are frequently extremely sour fruit, and perhaps the ultimate test for the miracle fruit. When cooked with plenty of sugar to counter the acidity, these fruit produce an excellent pie.