Nowadays everyone who cares about their health knows about mangosteen and its beneficial properties. And even people who are not concerned about this issue, when visiting large supermarkets, probably paid attention to this fruit.
Where can you buy mangosteen?
Nowadays it is not a problem to buy mangosteen in Moscow. It is sold almost everywhere. Such retail chains as Lenta, Auchan, Karusel, Hyperglobus and Okay offer this and any other exotic at any time of the year. At the same time, the price of mangosteen is always high. If you know how these fruits grow in their homeland, this circumstance becomes quite understandable. This also explains the lack of mangosteen in the markets: small suppliers do not want to get involved with goods, the price of which still exceeds demand. It is extremely rare to find mangosteen in the capital markets.
How mangosteen grows
This tropical fruit is very moody. The tree is demanding on temperatures, soil composition, moisture. It will grow and bear fruit only on soil rich in organic matter, and at temperatures from 7 to 37 degrees. Necessary conditions for fruiting and growth are also the absence of salt water and strong winds.
The mangosteen tree grows very slowly, but at the same time it is long-lived. The largest yields are harvested from trees aged 25-40 years, but this is not the limit, there are plants more than a hundred years old.
Correct name
Some call this exotic fruit mangosteen, others - mangosteen. Meanwhile, the officially recognized name for the tree and the fruit is mangosteen. This fruit is not a relative of the mango and is not a favorite food of the mongoose. The Latin name for the plant is Garcinia mangostana L., its reading is controversial, hence the various transcription options.
Mangosteen is recognized as a delicious tropical fruit. The thick red or orange peel hides delicate, translucent white slices. The more cloves in the fruit, the fewer seeds. The fruit is most often eaten fresh, since the delicate taste is lost during processing and preservation. At home, during the harvest season, a kind of jam is made from it, using cinnamon and brown cane sugar. Jelly is prepared from the peel, after having carried out special processing.
Beneficial features
In addition to its delicate, forever memorable taste, mangosteen is a real collection of useful substances. The main beneficial property of the fruit is the xanthones contained in its peel, which are natural antioxidants. They have antiviral effects and have a good effect on the cardiovascular system. In its composition and action, mangosteen peel is very similar to green tea, the benefits of which have long been known.
Dried peel in the homeland of the fruit is used in the treatment of skin diseases and dysentery. In addition, many medicines for a variety of diseases are produced from the peel in its various forms. All supporters of a healthy lifestyle will appreciate the taste and benefits of this exotic fruit, until recently unknown to the inhabitants of the middle lane.
