Introducing the Queen of Fruits...

Ever heard of a Mangosteen? Mangosteens are classified as the Queen of Fruits! I was first introduced this when I was strolling along the street markets of Malaysia. I thought to myself what on Earth are these peculiar things. They look like a purple tomato but the shell is pretty hard. They are usually in season during late May and June. The only problem is that these fruits are so delicate that usually it's difficult to find them outside South East Asia or let alone fresh/appealing/cheap enough to purchase. When Mangosteens are in season they usually cost around from $2-$4 a kilogram. I tried looking around in the United States and they were ridiculously expensive over $10 a POUND!! Basically once you open the outer shell, there is a white clove of awesomeness waiting for your mouth. It has the texture of Lychee and the taste of Mangos. It's quite the fruit. I would say this is my favorite fruit to consume. A fruit man educated me on how to choose the best Mangosteens in the bunch. First, turn over the Mangosteen and observe the number of pedals.  This indicates the number of cloves inside the fruit! Usually one of the cloves will consist of a pit so need to be careful when consuming each clove. Also you need to look at the overall color of the fruit, make sure you don't choose one that looks dry (turning brown), that means it's too old. Look for a vibrant purple and press on it a litte bit too. If it's too hard it's too old but at the same time if it's too soft, it's probably been squished earlier. Just for a firm bounce back when you press on it (like a sponge ball). Take a gentle/soft bite to confirm if there is a pit or not and then ENJOY!

These didn't look too fresh.

This is the inside. Look at how fresh it is!

You want to look for this kind of freshness. Purple is so vibrant!