Meet the Mangosteen

In Cambodia, I discovered my new favorite fruit.  Mangosteens- A delicious fruit grown on tropical evergreens in Southeast Asia.   The taste is really unique and hard to describe, it's almost a cross of peach and pineapple; sweet AND tangy, with the definite texture of a peach.  So yummy!!  The rind is a deep reddish purple when ripe, and just softer than an apple.  To open the fruit you pinch at the top by the green stem, cracking the rind, and pulling the soft shell open.  The white inside breaks apart like orange slices.  Those slimy white pieces are the good stuff.  Supposedly there are seeds, but I have never encountered any.  The rind is rather bitter, and may leave a reddish purple dye on your hands.  Oy, it's delicious!  I have done the research, and I understand that presently the U.S.D.A. does not allow the mangosteen fruit to enter the U.S.,  but they are gradually making their appearance in Asian and International markets in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles for anywhere between $4-$11.  I definitely owe it to myself today to buy a $5 mangosteen and you should too!  Contact your senator and lets get the mangosteen on the approved list!