Do You Like Mangosteen?

[deejah]

30 baht a kilo

opposite side of the street

north bouy cow market

large fruit distributor

good crop!

arroy mak!

[londoedan]

Oh yes, a fantastic fruit and IMO best served cold from the fridge.

Second only to the mighty Durian - really the king of fruits

[DMC1]

Very tasty & healthy, full of anti-oxidants or something like that.

[Ulysses G.]

My favorite Thai fruit, but Mangoes are dandy too.

[Jingthing]

Yes, great fruit, but what's up with the diseased looking pockmarks on the skin? Should those be rejected? I find the fruit inside is still good but those marks are so ugly! What's the hap?

[plopmeister]

I find Bruce a boring knowitall and failed pimp...The fruit itself though is lush...

[lonewolf99]

Jingthing ...The GF taught me to buy small ones not much more than 5 cm in diameter. The larger ones tend to to suffer from small catterpillers/grubs invading the inside.

I never ate one til I came to Thailand and rate it as one of my favourites. But my top of the fruits is the Lychee if its fresh and juicy of the trees.

For those ex-pats with transport a trip down to Chantaburi this time of year you can buy fruit by the wagon load at the roadside markets.

[Ohyesuare]

I get swarmed by ants whenever I eat these, dunno if they are hiding inside or just attracted to them. Good fruit though.

[tropo]

...The GF taught me to buy small ones not much more than 5 cm in diameter. The larger ones tend to to suffer from small catterpillers/grubs invading the inside.

I'm surprised your GF didn't teach you to avoid the ones hard like stones. They really are stones as you can't eat them. It's absolutely essential you check that they are soft when you buy them. I've come across whole batches of "stones". Never let the vendor fill the bag for you. If they won't let you handle them, don't buy them.

[Jingthing]

But what do the off color pockmarks signify? I have bought these and they usually seem fine inside, but ever so ugly on the outside.

[AbeSurd]

Very tasty & healthy, full of anti-oxidants or something like that.

May be full of anti-oxidants but not full of anything else of much nutritious benefit according to something I read on the internet a while ago.

But I may be wrong!

They are nevertheless delicious and one of my favourite Thai fruits.

I've always thought that the bits of yellow stuff on the surface of some of the fruit is sap from inside that has leached out. Never seems to affect the great taste however.

[Ulysses G.]

Very tasty & healthy, full of anti-oxidants or something like that.

May be full of anti-oxidants but not full of anything else of much nutritious benefit according to something I read on the internet a while ago.

But I may be wrong!

You are. They are full of vitamin C, B complex vitamins and minerals like potassium, manganese and magnesium.

[AbeSurd]

You are. They are full of vitamin C, B complex vitamins and minerals like potassium, manganese and magnesium.

Am I now?

Okay I offer up as evidence good old wikipedia (I hope this links works. If it doesn't you can look up 'purple mangosteen' on Wikipwedia):

http://en.wikipedia....rple_mangosteen

Scroll down and you will read:

"The aril is the part of the fruit which contains the flavor; when analyzed specifically for its nutrient content, the mangosteen aril is absent of important nutrient content."

So what evidence have you got? I don't think evidence from people selling mangosteen products counts.

[AbeSurd]

Google "mangosteen little nutritional value".

There's plenty there to suggest that the part we eat when we buy the fresh fruit is not a great source of nutrition.

[samsiam]

But what do the off color pockmarks signify? I have bought these and they usually seem fine inside, but ever so ugly on the outside.

Would you be happy if people judged you like that....mangosteens have feelings too.

I prefer the mighty Lychee....direct from the orchard...40/50b a kilo....big juicy and from the fridge...mmmm

[PoodMaiDai]

LOVE THEM! Eat a kilo or two a week.

[MickA]

I think he is a great guy ... the fruit is okay too

[Jingthing]

I think he is a great guy ... the fruit is okay too

Check your vision. This isn't about Manny Goldstein!

[kennalder]

Very tasty & healthy, full of anti-oxidants or something like that.

May be full of anti-oxidants but not full of anything else of much nutritious benefit according to something I read on the internet a while ago.

But I may be wrong!

You're not wrong, according to most nutritional websites there really isn't that much in mangosteen that can't be readily found elsewhere in greater quantities. Recently I wanted to get more Magnesium in my diet (irregular heartbeat and tendonitis), and folate (B9 for a separate issue). I looked at mangosteen because it had decent folate content. But this quote pretty much summarizes what I found.

"Nutrients. The most remarkable nutritional characteristic of mangosteen aril is its relative absence of essential macro- or micronutrients" -Source, http://newhope360.com/beverage/mangosteen-superfruit-nutrient-and-antioxidant-properties

Practically nothing in quantities greater than 10% of daily needs. The possible exception might be the xanthones found in the inedible pericarp. But I don't think anyone here is going to extract them.

You want Magnesium? Eat a fistful of pumpkin seeds 2-3 times a day, you'll get almost 50% of your needs each time.

Manganese? The same pumpkin seeds will get you 75% with each fistful. A cup of Pineapple, about the same, plus you'll get 130% of your vitamin C and about the same folate as mangosteen.

If you like the taste, great, eat away, but superfood it is not.

[xen]

Oh yes, a fantastic fruit and IMO best served cold from the fridge.

Second only to the mighty Durian - really the king of fruits

Ahhhh yes ..............the durian, the most seductive of all tropical fruits. Repulsive at first but once you are under its spell it is a lifetime of wanton desire.

Edited May 12, 2012 by xen

[patekatek]

Then, of course, there is the Rambutan, the red "hairy" fruit. Sweet, a bit chewy, but they do contain a seed. Bought 1 kilo in Tha Yang for 18 baht a couple of days ago. Nutritional value: http://www.livestrong.com/article/362917-nutritional-content-of-the-rambutan-fruit/.

[Ulysses G.]

You are. They are full of vitamin C, B complex vitamins and minerals like potassium, manganese and magnesium.

Am I now?

Okay I offer up as evidence good old wikipedia (I hope this links works. If it doesn't you can look up 'purple mangosteen' on Wikipwedia):

http://en.wikipedia....rple_mangosteen

Scroll down and you will read:

"The aril is the part of the fruit which contains the flavor; when analyzed specifically for its nutrient content, the mangosteen aril is absent of important nutrient content."

So what evidence have you got? I don't think evidence from people selling mangosteen products counts.

There is plenty of evidence. Perhaps calling mangosteen a "super-food" might be debatable, but not that it is nutritious.

• 
  Delicious, juicy mangosteen is one of the popular tropical fruits that contain an impressive list of essential nutrients, which are required for normal growth and development and overall nutritional well-being.
  
• 
  This fruit is very low in calories, contains no saturated fats or cholesterol, but rich in dietary fiber (100 g provides about 13% of RDA) which can be very important for individuals who are concerned about putting on excess body weight.
  
• 
  Mangosteen is good in vitamin C; provides about 12% of per 100 g. Vitamin-C is a powerful water soluble anti-oxidant. Consumption of fruits rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against flu-like infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals.
  
• 
  Fresh fruit is a moderate source of B-complex vitamins such as thiamin, niacin and folates. These vitamins are acting as cofactors help body metabolize carbohydrates, protein, and fats.
  
• 
  It also contains a very good amount of minerals like potassium, manganese and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids help control heart rate and blood pressure; thus offers protection against stroke and coronary heart diseases.
  

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/mangosteen.html

http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/mangosteen.html

[lonewolf99]

Who would have thought a small dark purple fruit would open up such a debate.

I have serious doubts about the internet and some of the information you can find. I doubt if monkeys, birds, and even some lizards care much about manganese, potassium or if fruit is chrome plated. Surely its about taste first. It is only in the last century we have been dicking about finding out what is "good" for you.

Butter would be banned if we invented it today.

Never believe anything you hear or read about and only half of what you see.....

[leemo]

As of last weekend, mangosteens have been 6kg/100 bt off the farm pickups that are converging on Pattaya.

[gk10002000]

I too have often found them infested with ants. Didn't look like the ants ate much of the inner fruit, or they had too much trouble chewing their way in through the skin, but I gave up buying them. Maybe will try a diferent vendor. Mangosteen, Lychee, rambutan, Jack Fruit, Dragon fruit just because it looks so different.

[doggie888888]

don't mind the taste but the texture is a bit of a turn off for me. prefer rambutans as the flesh is firmer.

[Jingthing]

don't mind the taste but the texture is a bit of a turn off for me. prefer rambutans as the flesh is firmer.

Good point. A bit slimy. But I can cope.

[samsiam]

I would imagine you could do all sorts of things with a hard mangosteen....just the right size.......on a string..

[poanoi]

The queen of fruits ?

Hell yes.

Here's a tip: check them out before buying them, when you press on them, the shell should give after.

If the shell is too hard, don't buy it, it's messed up and in all likelihood got a nasty yellow substance innit

[MickA]

I think he is a great guy ... the fruit is okay too

Check your vision. This isn't about Manny Goldstein!

Sorry I thought the op was talking about Bruce