Fah Thai Magazine Mar-Apr 2020

OVERTURES
FRUITFUL FINDS
Chilling
with the
Queen of
Fruits
Looking like a purple tennis ball with a funny
green hat, the mangosteen has been crowned a
foodie favourite alongside King Durian
Cherished for its delicious mix of sweet and tangy
flavours, the origins of the mangosteen are unknown
– though the fruit is believed to have first sprouted
in Malaysia or eastern Indonesia. Renowned British
botanist EJH Corner believed the wild fruit was first
domesticated in Thailand or Myanmar.
The spherical fruits are flattened on the top and
bottom with a thick deep purple shell, which is cut
open to reveal a snow-white rosette comprised of
four to eight seeds wrapped in juicy flesh. The seeds
are edible, but some choose to discard them because
they are a bit hard and bitter.
The mangosteen brims with health benefits,
offering eaters a variety of essential minerals, vitamins
and fibre while also being low in calories. It also
contains xanthones, a unique plant compound
with antioxidant properties which are believed to
help maintain healthy blood-sugar levels, reduce
inflammation and even protect eaters from cancer.
Botanists classify mangosteen as asexual – like
most of the fruit found in this region. With no
fertilisation required to reproduce, baby seedlings
remain genetically identical to the mother plant.
According to the Chinese, mangosteen is a highly
effective antidote to the “heat” that comes with
consuming the king of fruits – the spiky durian. So
eating mangosteen is recommended after a durian
feast to balance the yin and yang in the body.
With an aroma and tangy flavour somewhere
between lychee, pineapple, strawberry and peach,
the mangosteen has caught the attention of chefs
and foodies. Toss the white flesh into a salad or
turn it into ice-cream, juice, slushy, mocktail or
cocktail. Or just serve it fresh – nothing beats the
scorching heat better than a cooling mangosteen!
WORDS CHUSRI NGAMPRASERT PHOTO KAY CHOOMONGKOL
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