The Queen of Fruits

In these times of modern preservation techniques and the swiftness of importation and exportation of raw materials, products and produce, the world has just about literally shrunk into a "global village." One can visit various local markets today and find fresh fruits available from all corners of the world that obviously do not, and cannot, grow in commercial quantities in tropical climates. These include the likes of apples, "Florida-grade" oranges, pears, lemons, lychees among others.
It's definitely not that tropical countries lack fruits. They have mouth-watering, wide variety of unique, health-enhancing and delicious fruits, many of which are sought after around the world: bananas, mangoes, pineapples just to name a few. But none of the aforementioned are as rare, exotic and exquisite in taste as "The Queen of Fruits," as it was ontensibly crowned by Queen Victoria during her historically recognized quest for this tropical delicacy - the Mangosteen.

And that legend would certainly not be difficult to believe, given the indescribably complex taste of Mangosteen... sweet, sour, sharp, soft, creamy, fleshy - all exquisitely and perfectly combined to deliver a taste that is out of this world . There just isn't anything even closely comparable


The Rare and Costly Best
   The most exquisite and delicious of foods are the rarest and often the most expensive to acquire... truffles, caviar, saffron, Kobe beef, bird's nest soup are but just a few examples.
Mangosteen or Garcinia Mangostana is a tropical fruit tree native only to the hot and humid weather of countries in Southeast Asia like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines. And even within the counties in which it is indigenous, the Mangosteen tree is challenging to grow. It is weather-sensitive and slow-growing, taking approximately 15 years to become fruit-bearing.
Mangosteens are not only known for its exquisite taste but for its health benefits and use as a folk medicine to ease and treat dysentery, skin infections, wounds, stomach conditions and other ailments, recent developments and exposure for the dynamic health properties of the fruit and its rind around the world has turned this purple-skinned health wonder into much, much more than just "The Queen of Fruits."


Mango-what?
   Mangosteen is a round fruit of about two to three inches in diameter with a deep, reddish-purple rind encasing the white-as-snow, soft, creamy, sweet, tangy and exquisite edible flesh inside shaped in aril segments, usually five of them. it's been said that one can determine the number of aril segments within by the number of petals at the top of the fruit, but such is not as important as what we will learn next.


Health Properties
   The health benefits of mangosteen come from both the inner fruit as well as the rind. Mangosteens have been discovered to be the greatest single source of xanthones or natural constituents found in vegetable and fruit plants, particularly those belonging to Bonnetiaceae and Clusiaceae families.

Xanthones contained in mangosteen are active therapeutic compounds like alpha-mangostin, beta-mangostine, garcinone B and E that have antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterials, antitumor and even antihistamine acid and anti-inflammatory medicinal properties. Xanthones contain much more antioxidants than Vitamin C and E which translates into more power in the battle versus free radicals, the boosting of immune systems, improved joint and cartilage function, more robust respiratory system and overall health.
The rind of the mangosteen has, in fact, been used for generation by Southeast Asian people to make tea, a brew or ointment for a myriad of stomach-related ailments or disorders as well as a cure for skin rashes of all sorts. So aside from mangosteen's antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungual benefits, the fruit as a whole is likewise credited for its antitumor, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity.

Mangosteens are likewise recognized for their ability to prevent and treat infections, diarrhea, eczema,  and gleets. Overall, mangosteens appear to be beneficial to all the organs of the body and, therefore, overall health. As earlier noted, even in its country of origin, the mangosteen can be fleetingly available in its fresh fruit form. Thankfully, its healthy benefits are available all year round in powdered or juice form all around the world. To sate your mangosteen cravings practically anytime of year.

Needless to say, should one desire to reap deep,deep down and honest-to-goodness the full gastronomic benefit of this healthy powerhouse "Queen of Fruits" there's nothing like the real thing, as they say..... that is, the fresh fruit itself. And for that privilege, we'll simply need to heed the proven adage, "Good things are worth waiting for."