Mangosteen

The mangosteen is a berry fruit growing on a 7-25m high tree carrying fruit six years after planting at the earliest. When fully ripe, this fruit has a thick reddish brown to purple violet leathery skin which is difficult to open. In the interior, the soft white pulp is divided into 4-8 segments with 1-3 longish seeds. The taste of the fruit is elegantly sweet and acidic, very exotic and refreshing.. Besides some vitamin C, the mangosteen contains calcium, phosphor and iron.

The mangosteen originated in the islands of the Malayan Archipelago, but its cultivation has spread to the whole East Asian region. Leading producers are Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia.