In all the literature I found on mangosteens, everyone agrees they are a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth fruit. Unfortunately, I could not get the fresh fruit and had to settle for canned mangosteen in syrup. Apparently, before 2007, mangosteens in the US could only be found in cans. For fear of introducing the Asian fruit fly in America, the US banned the import of mangosteens1, which are mostly grown in Thailand (the origin of mine as well). Now, mangosteens are allowed into the country on the condition that they have been irradiated to kill any flies. Just from an intuitive standpoint, I don’t feel quite so disappointed that I couldn’t find a whole, irradiated mangosteen.
The canned fruit, however, didn’t live up to the hype of its fresh counterpart. The can was filled mostly with syrup with the pale white innards of about six mangosteens bobbing dully within. Having soaked in sugar-water for who knows how long, the meat of the fruit was overly sweet in a way that clearly overpowered its true flavor. I can’t say it tasted bad, but it had some of the texture of canned peaches, but with a much blander taste. I can only believe that this can which made its way to me from Thailand simply does not do justice to the fresh fruit. Canned fruits never do, though, so I can’t say I was too surprised. The experience has not turned me off of mangosteens. On the contrary, I am now even more curious to taste the fruit in the state the tree intended. Of course, I find myself having to weigh my culinary curiosity against the environmental irresponsibility of shipping a fruit halfway across the globe. How are we to balance the unprecedented opportunities of our time (I doubt my parents have even heard of a mangosteen) with the unprecedented environmental crises of our time?
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