Mangosteen Fruit

Hi everyone! Today's post is about mangosteen fruit (aka the queen of fruits), real and amigurumi varieties! Back in late October 2021 I released the crochet mangosteen amigurumi pattern. A few days ago a shipment of special order mangosteen fruit arrived at my home, and I had the opportunity to finally try the adorable little purplish-red fruit that I admire so much. Part of me wishes it were easier to access tropical fruit without special ordering them, but living in a colder climate, that is very difficult. Alas for now, but maybe I will be able to move somewhere warmer in the next few years.
So what were they like? The inner white flesh is very similar in taste and texture to lychee (a fruit I have also adore), but slightly more acidic (the hard purple rind is inedible; there are also large inedible seeds in the bigger flesh sections). I would that mangosteen is like a combination of lychee, tangerine, and honeydew melon. While there is not a lot of flesh in a mangosteen fruit, they are still worth the effort of cracking open the outer rind; they are very refreshing and not overly sweet, perfect for snacking. Since there is not much edible area in the mangosteen, and separating the seeds is somewhat difficult, I did not make any desserts with them. I also did not have many mangosteen to work with, but now that I know what to expect, maybe next time I can make something, most likely a sorbet or kanten-style jelly dessert.

So what exactly are mangosteen? In short, since this isn't a science post, these little fruit (Garcinia mangostana) originate from Southeast Asia (although the ones I have here came from a grower in Florida). They are similar in many ways (taste, texture of the inner shell-contained flesh) to lychee, kokum, longan, and rambutan fruits, which also have a similar soft white flesh incased in a type of outer shell. In recent years they have started being marketed as a super fruit, but I am not one for food trends, so I will just enjoy mangosteen for what they are. Tropical fruits are very special, at least to me. Not only do they have unique tastes and appearances that are great inspiration for sunny deserts and art, but since most of my family came from warmer parts of the world, I guess fruits like this are just part of who we are.

Have you ever had mangosteen fruit before? If so, did you like it? Feel free to share in the comments.
Want to buy the crochet pattern? You can do so through my Etsy store, or through Ravelry below.

Until next time!