Mangosteen is an exotic evergreen tree that can reach a height of twenty-five meters. Its fruits are round, dark purple. Under the dense, inedible rind are several segments of edible light-colored flesh.
What does mangosteen taste like?
A good mangosteen fruit should be firm and fairly large. When pressed, the shell should spring. Small fruits contain quite a bit of pulp, so it is better to choose mangosteen the size of a small apple. If the fruit is hard to the touch, dry with a network of cracks, then it is overripe. In the refrigerator, the mangosteen in the peel can be stored for one to two weeks. It is advisable to use the "opened" fruits immediately.
To peel the inedible rind from the mangosteen, cut it in a circle with a small knife, then remove the rind, be careful, the sticky juice leaves dark spots on the fingers. Do not cut too deep to avoid damaging the slices. In appearance, peeled mangosteen resembles a head of garlic. This fruit has a very pleasant, subtle and at the same time strong smell. Mangosteen are usually eaten raw, preferably refrigerated before use. The taste is very light, fresh, somewhat reminiscent of mandarin, lychee and ice cream. The fruit is very soft, there is a stone inside each slice. The flesh of the mangosteen crawls under the fingers. Mangosteen can be used to make soufflés, milkshakes, fruit salads. The unusual taste of mangosteen goes well with shrimp and squid.
Unique properties of mangosteen
This fruit is a source of a huge amount of trace elements and vitamins important for human health. Thiamine, riboflavin, nitrogen, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, vitamins C, B and E are found in significant quantities in mangosteen.
For medicinal purposes, mangosteen is used for indigestion. From the pulp left on the inedible peel, a wonderful healing tea is prepared, which is excellent for diarrhea. Sometimes this pulp is then soaked in water and added to a puree, which should be eaten every two hours until the symptoms disappear.
Mangosteen is also used in pharmacology, it contains a large amount of xanthones. These are chemicals recently discovered by physicians that have a number of beneficial pharmacological properties. They improve the state of the immune system, maintain microbiological balance, increase the general adaptability of the human body to an unfavorable environment, and so on. Curiously, mangosteen is currently the only source of this substance, which, quite possibly, will change all ideas about a variety of dietary supplements.
