Mangosteen Stock Photo

No, they're not eggplants! Often heralded as the Queen of Fruits, mangosteen, a tropical fruit, is the same shape and size as a tangerine, but has white flesh. The circle of wedge-shaped arils contains 4-8 segments. The fragrant edible flesh is sweet and creamy, citrusy with some peach flavor. The skin is deep reddish purple when ripe. Although available in cans and frozen, mangosteens are rarely sold fresh in Western countries except in some Asian grocery stores and presently not exported to the continental United States where it is banned as an insect host. nSince 2004, mangosteen has been included among an emerging category of novel functional foods sometimes called superfruits presumed to have a combination of 1) appealing characteristics, such as taste, fragrance and visual qualities, 2) rich in nutrients, 3) antioxidant strength and 4) potential impact for lowering risk against human diseases.