Purple Mangosteen
Looking back at the two months I spent in Malaysia I must admit, at first it was very difficult to adopt the local living routine which is heavily dependable, like everywhere in a tropical hot and humid climate, on the weather. I guess it could easily explained as : ‘if the sun is out you shouldn’t be’ type of attitude. I don’t have to tell you how hard is it to imagine staying indoors when the weather is beautiful and sunny if you ever been to Ireland, (where I spent my last few years) a truly bucolic land with an unfortunate microclimate that comes down to one season — the rainy season.
Everyday life in Malaysia is focused to avoid any potential misuse of the precious life energy that one have to use to go on with the daily chores. Instead all the energy that is accumulated throughout the day is being used after the sunset, when the city and its people wake up to a very busy and colourful life. Around late afternoon hours when the temperature drops down a bit the make up of the streets completely changes. Street hawkers appear from nowhere with their DIY food stalls and start setting up for the busy ‘dining & drinking’ night experience. It is hard to believe that a fully contained self service restaurant can be set up only in few moments. Yet again it seems that the city never sleeps or at least will not go to sleep tonight.
Night markets
The most common aspect of some street markets is that they run throughout the night until early morning hours. Taught by experience, I usually depart on my hunt for some new culinary experiences around midnight. As you can imagine majority of the food served on hawker stalls is not suitable for a vegan (but this requires an entirely separate post) so I turn my sight towards fruit and vegetable sections. I must admit on several occasions I came across fruits that I have never seen in my life and as the selection seems countless I decided to devote a series of posts to them.
The other night when exploring one of the night markets in Kuala Lumpur (Bukit Bintang Night Market) I bumped into a stall with dark purple fruit with a green stem that at first could be mistaken for an exotic type of nut but appeared to be the most refreshing fruit experience since I tried Lychee for the first time. I got hooked immediately and ended up munching on the entire bag on the spot in Malay style — sitting on a plastic chair by the plastic little table wearing plastic gloves and enjoying the delights from a colorful plastic bag, just the way fruit is eaten at nigh markets here. Yum yum this is how I discovered a famous Mangosteen.
Interesting facts
• A legend which has followed Mangosteen for decades claims that Queen Victoria herself was so taken with the its taste that she offered a knighthood to anyone who could deliver a ripe mangosteen to Buckingham Palace. Hence it is known as the ‘Queen of Fruits’ in Malaysia.
• The other interesting fact is that Mangosteen’s sap has always been used as a black dye so when consuming it one must be careful as the sap may stain clothes, hands and in some cases even the greedy face.
Origin
Mangosteen is a Southeast Asian native, cultivated in Malaysia but also in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. It is a seasonal fruit available in the second quarter of the year and can get really expensive when not in season. In Malaysia, the fruits usually ripen from May to July. Surprisingly I am still able to get it easily at the market in September.
The looks
It has a thick but soft, dark purple, woody shell that can be easily cracked by pressing the fruit from the top. It encloses several segments (organized the same way as orange just smaller in size) of the most exquisite juicy pearly white flesh, sweet yet refreshing and slightly acidic. Mangosteen’s size is comparable to a medium sized tomato.
It is on of the fruits that is the best to have ‘on the go’. You can put aside worries of washing it beforehand or pealing as eating does not require using anything but your hands.
Mangosteen taste is unlike any other fruit I have tried before. It could probably be described as a combination of peach with a dash of strawberry and a texture and juiciness very similar to this of grapes. It simply melts in your mouth, but it is sweet without being too sugary and refreshes your pallet immediately.
The uses and how to select the one
In Malaysia it is usually eaten fresh as a dessert. However I must say it works wonders in breakfast recipes like here in my Raw Oats Extravaganza. I guess it all comes down to your liking and imagination.
Locals assured me that the secret to select the best fruit is to choose the one with the highest number of stigma lobes at the apex as they have the highest number of fleshy segments and accordingly the fewest seeds. The numbers always correspond.
In terms of storage ripe mangosteens the street seller told me that they keep well for 3 to 4 weeks in storage at 40′C to 55′C.
Nutritional benefits
• Low in calories, contains no saturated fats, cholesterol or sodium, but rich in dietary fiber
• Rich in Xanthones active components that are found almost exclusively in mangosteens which have been shown to have properties that fight pain, allergies, infections, skin disorders, and fatigue while supporting intestinal health
• Very good source of B-complex vitamins such as thiamin, niacin and folate. These vitamins act as co-factors to help the body metabolise carbohydrates, proteins and fats
• Good source of vitamin C, a powerful water soluble anti-oxidant. Consumption of it helps body develop resistance against flu-like infectious agents
• Rich in antioxidants, which delay the process of ageing by keeping our skin wrinkle-free and radiant. If eaten regularly mangosteen will boost the immune system
• Contains a very good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese and magnesium. Potassium in an important component of cell and body fluids helps control heart rate and blood pressure; thus offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases
• Anti-fungal
• Anti-inflammatory
• Antidiarrheal
• Antidepressant
Published originally on my blog, here.
