On store shelves, you can increasingly find exotic fruits, the names of which you hear for the first time. So, from hot tropical countries (Thailand, Vietnam, India and others) began to bring mangosteen - a round dark purple fruit. If you taste it, you will never forget. Juicy pulp is like a refreshing jelly with a sweet and sour train. And the fruit brings great health benefits, charges the body with vitamins and minerals.
What does mangosteen look like?
Mangosteen fruits grow on the evergreen Garcinia tree, whose height reaches 15–25 m. They appear only in the 9–20th year of the plant’s life.
The fruit has a round shape and a diameter of 3.5–7.5 cm. Outwardly, it looks a bit like an apple. The fruit is covered with a dense peel of burgundy-violet or brown color, inside of which dyes are contained. When picking fruit inaccurately, paint can get inside and even lead to spoilage of the pulp.
Upstairs, mangosteen has fleshy green leaves. At the bottom is a "flower". The number of its petals coincides with the number of lobules inside the fetus. The pulp looks like garlic, but has a jelly-like consistency (like a lychee). She has a pleasant sweet and sour taste, in which notes of peach, pineapple and strawberry are mixed. Although for some people, mangosteen is more like grapes.
Inside the fruit may be from 4 to 8 slices (but more often 5 or 6). If there are many segments, you can stumble on a bone. She is bitter and inedible.
The chemical composition and beneficial properties of mangosteen
Mangosteen is a healthy dietary product. 100 g of its pulp contains only 70–75 kcal, which are mainly represented by carbohydrates. Due to the presence of fiber, sugar from the fruit is absorbed into the body slowly, provide a long feeling of satiety and a good mood.
Xanthones are considered the most valuable component of mangosteen. These are the strongest antioxidants that have a number of useful properties:
- protect the body from cancer;
- slow down the aging process;
- strengthen immunity;
- reduce inflammation and relieve pain;
- help with viral, bacterial and fungal infections;
- improve the tone of blood vessels and prevent atherosclerosis.
40 types of xanthones are contained in the peel of the fruit and only 3 in the pulp. The well-known international company XanGo even produces natural dietary supplements based on mangosteen fruit juice.
The tropical fruit also boasts a rich vitamin and mineral composition. The table below lists the substances that are present in its pulp in large quantities.
Table 1. The chemical composition of mangosteen
Name of substance | % of the daily rate in 100 g of pulp | Beneficial features |
---|---|---|
Vitamin C | 3.2 | Participates in the formation of immunity, protects the body from cancer, strengthens the walls of blood vessels and accelerates blood circulation |
Vitamin B1 | 4.5 | Improves brain function, helps with nausea, normalizes fat and carbohydrate metabolism |
Vitamin B2 | 4.2 | Stimulates the production of collagen - the main protein of the skin, improves vision, helps with migraines |
Folic acid | 7.8 | Prevents miscarriages and intrauterine pathologies in pregnant women, normalizes the menstrual cycle |
Iron | 3 | Participates in the production of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to internal organs and tissues, prevents chronic fatigue |
Magnesium | 3.3 | Strengthens the muscles of the heart, supports the health of the nervous system |
Zinc | 1.9 | Accelerates cell regeneration, improves reproductive function in men |
For medicinal purposes, not only the pulp of the fruit is used. The decoction of leaves and peel contains astringents, so this tool helps with intestinal infections and diarrhea. Also, these parts of the plant are used in the production of anti-aging cosmetics.
Mangosteen is contraindicated in the presence of allergies or diabetes. Also, doctors do not recommend consuming this fruit at the same time as taking blood thinners and heart medications.
How to choose a good fruit?
Mangosteen is an expensive fruit, so you need to choose it carefully.
- First, pay attention to the leaves on top. They should be green, not yellowed or gray.
- Then push on the peel. The fresh fruit is soft and supple. If the peel seems wooden to you, then the mangosteen has already begun to deteriorate.
- Choose larger fruits. In small fruits, more than 50% is occupied by a thick peel.
The Garcinia tree, on which mangosteen grows, gives off bright paint. It is mined for industrial purposes (in particular, used for dyeing fabrics). If paint gets on the fruit, it may spoil it. Therefore, if after cutting the fruit you see darkened slices, throw them away.
How to clean mangosteen?
There are two ways to clean mangosteen. The easiest is to cut off the top with the leaves and try to separate the peel from the pulp with your hands.
If you want to take a photo or just enjoy the beautiful view of the fruit, use another method. Take a knife and make a circular incision along the diameter of the fruit. Try not to touch the flesh. Then remove the half peel like a lid.
How to eat mangosteen?
Fresh mangosteen is considered the most beneficial for health. How to eat it right? You can completely get slices from the peel or use a teaspoon. A fruit bone is not eaten, as it is poisonous.
Today in the store you can buy canned mangosteen. However, such a product is rather a pleasant treat. There are practically no vitamins and minerals in its composition.
Tropical fruit can be used to prepare the following dishes and drinks:
- fruit salads;
- juices and smoothies;
- alcoholic cocktails;
- mousse, jelly and souffle;
- ice cream;
- yoghurts.
It’s very tasty jam. It is often prepared in the countries of Southeast Asia. The pulp of mangosteen is boiled for a couple of minutes with brown sugar, then ground cinnamon is added and rolled.
Mangosteen can be stored in the refrigerator for 1 month, and peeled slices up to 2 weeks.
How to grow mangosteen from seed?
Most likely, you will not succeed in growing mangosteen from a stone. Even if a small sprout appears, it will quickly wither. It is better to order prepared seeds in the online store (subordinate embryos) and plant them no later than 1.5 months after purchase. You will also need light and nutritious soil, preferably with the addition of peat.
Plant according to this scheme:
- Submerge the seed to a depth of 2–2.5 cm.
- Lightly moisten the soil.
- Cover the pot with plastic wrap to create a warm environment inside.
- Moisturize the soil regularly.
The first sprouts appear 5-6 weeks after planting. But then the plant will develop slowly.
At first, mangosteen requires a lot of moisture and heat, it is better to keep it in the shade. The sprout can die if the room temperature drops below 10 degrees.
After 2-3 years, the plant reaches a height of 25-30 cm. Now it can be carefully transplanted into a constant container and put on the sunny side. The ideal temperature is 28-30 degrees. At 37 degrees and above, the mangosteen begins to dry out, and at 4 degrees and below - it freezes.
Mangosteen is a surprisingly tasty fruit, which is difficult to find analogues. No wonder in Thailand he is called the "king of fruits." Mangosteen contains many vitamins, macro- and microelements, strong antioxidants and fiber. Therefore, its regular use allows you to maintain good health, excellent mood, harmony, beauty and youth.