Food from The Philippines: Mangosteen

Posted on / 18 Comments by David Ways in » Filipino food | - Updated on May 30th, 2012.
Inside a Mangosteen from The Philippines
Wonderful tasting white Mangosteen pods (click to enlarge)

Delicious Mangosteens from The Philippines

From the outside the mangosteen fruit looks like a slightly mutated purple tomato. But, like many good fruits inside lies a very special treat. Indeed today the mangosteen flavor is so popular it’s found in jam, juice and tea.

Once someone makes mangosteen ice cream call chocolate, because it might just be dethroned.

Inside a mangosteen

Cut open the thick purple husk to reveal  a cluster of the mangosteens milky white fleshy pods. Sweet with a slightly bitter tangy taste the flesh surrounds inedible seeds.

Whole Mangosteen from the outside
Whole Mangosteen from the outside (click to enlarge)

The inner purple husk is soft, and although some say it contains high quantities of vitamins and minerals, few try to eat it. This may be due to the white pods strong and near irresistible taste.

Where do mangosteens come from

Mangosteens are native to Indonesia, but are widely found all over the Philippines. For some reason they seem to have obtained a bad rap for being exported overseas. It’s a shame as Mangosteens are one of the best fruits in Asia.

This is an additional post and one of a series highlighting Great food from the Philippines

Liked this post?

Never miss a post!
  
* indicates required

18 Replies to “Food from The Philippines: Mangosteen”

  1. Mangosteen!!! I really LOVED this fruit in Thailand. But I can’t get it in Arizona!!!

  2. If you haven’t already, I suggest you to try Java Apple/Rose Apple/SChompu/Jambu Air and also Custard Apple/Noi-na … IMHO, they’re the best from SEA :)

    1. -Sally Heiden- They seem to have issues with exporting them to the USA?! Don’t know why though.

      -yee- Wow that’s a lot to choose from!! I’ve tried Custard Apple, but didn’t quite like it. A bit dry. Was expecting something else.

      -Marnie Alvez- Hi, nice to see you here! It’s about 80 pesos a kilo at the market here. Expensive compared to others. I got Marang for 35 pesos yesterday …:)

  3. I love mangosteen but in Manila, it is very expensive. You should enjoy mangosteen while you’re in Davao =) I hope it’s in season.

    1. -ciki-hmmm Already tried Durian … not my thing! But thanks for the tip in case anyone else likes Durian.

      -jessiev- It’s all waiting for you at the market!

  7. Is there any fruit better than a mangosteen? I think not. Too bad they can really only be enjoyed near where they grow.

  10. Ooooh, I agree.
    I’m originally from Indonesia so does it mean that I’m biased to say that it’s my second favorite fruit (my first belongs to jackfruits)? It’s impossible to eat them without making a mess, but there’s something so beautiful about the white of the flesh sitting against the red, dark pulpy skin. And not to mention the taste… hmmm!

  11. I love mangosteen. This fruit is grown in most of Southeast Asia so it’s available in the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, Burma and Vietnam. In the Philippines, the best mangosteen comes from Davao. It’s a bit pricey when sold in Manila but that’s the price you pay to savour this delicious fruit.

    I have eight mangosteen trees in my farm and four of them are already fruit-bearing.

  12. Pingback: @TravelPanties

Comments are closed.