Most recently hit the shelves of supermarkets in our country. Thailand, on the other hand, has been cultivating mangosteen trees for a long time, but is also a world leader in the export of their fruits. Already in the middle of the last century under plantations mangosteen   there were more than 4 thousand hectares of Thai land.

The exact origin of mangosteen trees has not been identified. Ancient mangosteen forests are found on the Moluccas in Malaysia. Mangosteen is a capricious plant that does not tolerate even a small drought and wind. Therefore, their artificial breeding requires a lot of labor. Nevertheless, mangosteen trees gradually spread throughout the South Asian region. In addition to Thailand, mangosteen is cultivated today in Indonesia, Burma, Vietnam, Kampuchea, Malaysia, India, Africa, the Philippines, Jamaica, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.

In the world there are several varieties of mangosteen, the fruits of which almost do not differ from each other either in appearance or taste. Exception: in North Brunei there is a wild plant variety, the fruit of which has only four wedges with a seed in each. Mangosteen is also known as " mangosteen».

Biological Description of Mangosteen (Mangosteen)

Mangosteen   - the fruit of a slow-growing, straight-stemmed tree that raises its pyramidal crown above the ground to a height of 25 meters. The trunk of the mangosteen tree is covered with almost black or dark brown scaly bark. Under the bark is a bitter, tarry yellow latex. Short-leaved leaves are opposite, oblong-lanceolate or elliptic, thin and leathery. The base of the dark green leaf is shiny and yellowish green. Leaves grow to a length of 25 centimeters and a width of 10 centimeters. Each vein is clearly visible on them.

Fleshy mangosteen flowers bloom up to 5 centimeters in diameter. They are located in small groups (3-9 each) at the ends of the branches and can be either male or bisexual on the same tree. Each flower has four oval petals, four sepals and many stamens. On the outside, the petals are decorated with green and red spots, and on the inside, red and yellow.

The fruit of the mangosteen tree is located at the end of the stem. It is smooth and spherical (diameter - up to 7.5 centimeters). Skin color mangosteen   - from red-purple to dark purple. The peel of mangosteen is thick (up to 1 cm in section) and white-lilac inside. It contains purple coloring juice and yellowish bitter latex. The pulp located inside the peel is divided into 4-8 slices. Fully developed seeds are not present in every fruit. The taste of fragrant pulp - from sweet-sour to frankly sour.

Legends of the mangosteen (mangosteen)

The Mangosteen was so fond of Europeans that the data about it fell into historical chronicles and diaries of famous people. For example, Queen Victoria liked the taste of mangosteen so much that she issued a decree in which she promised a substantial monetary reward to someone who agreed to regularly deliver exotic fruit to the royal table. And the Swedish scientist Eric Myberg at the turn of the XIX - XX centuries compared the attempts to describe a delicious taste mangosteen   with blasphemy.

Useful properties of mangosteen (mangosteen)

The composition of mangosteen includes such beneficial substances as phosphorus, calcium and vitamins B and C. The pulp contains a natural antioxidant xanthonis. In the long secretory passages of the core and bark of the mangosteen tree, Gummi-resina Gutti latex circulates, used for the production of paints and varnishes.

Mangosteen has long been used in Thai medicine. Extracts from fruit   treat infectious diseases, they are used to prevent infections, increase the body's energy, as an anesthetic and anti-inflammatory agent. For centuries, fruit has helped people overcome diseases such as bronchitis, cholera, cystitis, diabetes, eczema, dysentery.

Recent studies have found antioxidants (xanthones) in the fruits of mangosteen, substances that can resist cancer. In addition, xanthones in pharmacology are widely used to maintain joint flexibility, strengthen the functions of the immune system, and improve mental health.

Mangosteen It is part of the Zambroza fruit and berry drink, which is produced according to the GMP standard.

Who is harmful to eat mangosteen?

Like any exotic fruit, mangosteen can cause allergies in people unaccustomed to it. When a skin rash, redness, and itching appear, as well as unusual pains in the joints, you need to exclude mangosteen from your diet.

Cooking Mangosteen

Mangosteen is most often eaten raw. After heat treatment from fruit   get a delicious sweet and sour jam. There are Thai recipes in which slices of mangosteen along with seeds are pickled in brown sugar.

How to store mangosteen

In a dry room at room temperature, the mangosteen will remain unchanged for almost a month before their peel begins to become stiff and the flesh dry. Studies have shown that at a temperature of + 3 ... 6 ° C and humidity of about 90% mangosteen retain their taste and beneficial properties for 49 days.

Other applications of mangosteen

In Ghana, mangosteen tree twigs chew like chewing sticks. In China, a fruit peel containing a lot of tannin, catechin and resins is added to tanning and black dye formulations. Mangosteen wood is used in carpentry and construction.

By the way ...

A little-known to our compatriots mangosteen managed to “shine” in Soviet cinema. In the film “A Guest from the Future,” based on the novel by Cyrus Bulychev, “The Guest from the Future,” the main character says:

“... you take mangosteen, and for five minutes you fry it in peteyar butter ...”

Mangosteen is a fruit that belongs to the Clusian family. It tastes like strawberries, sweet grapes and peaches. Exotic fruit reach 3.5-7.5 cm in diameter. And the purple peel of a mangosteen with maroon tint can be up to 1 cm thick. Inside the fruit is a white pulp consisting of 4-8 parts (like mandarin). The pulp contains seeds that fit snugly together. The taste of mangosteen is sweet, with a slight sour tint. A sugar aroma from the fruit adds piquancy and charm to the fruit.

Those who are not familiar with mangosteen should know: you can peel this fruit as well as the already familiar orange for all.

Other names: mangosteen, mangosteen and derivatives.

This fruit contains many beneficial ingredients. Among them are vitamins B1 and C, minerals (potassium, iron, phosphorus, calcium), dietary fiber (about 5% of the total weight of the fetus). The calorie content of mangosteen is low, and therefore, the fruit can be a frequent guest on the table with connoisseurs of healthy and low-calorie nutrition.

Where does mangosteen grow?

In tropical latitudes (South Asia and America, Africa). To grow, you must constantly maintain heat: the fruit dies at temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius. Not everyone wants to grow mangosteen, because the first fruits will appear on the tree only 8-10 years after planting a tropical fruit seed. But the result is worth the wait, because mangosteen has a whole range of healing properties.

The beneficial properties of mangosteen

Mangosteen contains many useful components that the body really needs. A particular benefit of mangosteen in the presence of ascorbic acid, which helps strengthen immunity. Also, the fruit contains nicotinic acid, which improves the well-being of people seeking to get rid of alcohol or nicotine addiction.

The composition of the peel of the fetus includes tannins, which have a healing effect and help get rid of acne on the skin of the face. There are also xanthons in the peel: substances that strengthen the immune system, optimize brain function, maintain bio-and microbalance in the skin, strengthen the heart, and are effective in the prevention of diseases of the cardiovascular system. In addition, xanthones are strong antioxidants, which is important to prevent aging and is necessary to reduce the risk of cancer.

The crushed bark of mangosteen is also used to make ointments. And they, in turn, have proven effective in the fight against many skin diseases.

Not surprisingly, a mask with juice or peeled mangosteen is gaining more and more popularity.

The benefits of mangosteen have been known for a long time. Therefore, this fruit is often used in folk medicine. In addition to curing skin diseases, mangosteen is able to bring down heat: for this, a decoction is prepared from the roots and leaves of an exotic plant. Also, mangosteen fruit is widely used in the prevention of thrush, inflammatory processes of the genitourinary system and dysentery.

Also, this fruit is useful in the prevention of a variety of diseases, including:

• osteoporosis;
• hypertension
• atherosclerosis;
• cataracts;
• infectious and colds;
• renal failure and other kidney diseases.

What to cook from mangosteen?

Mangosteen fruit is eaten separately or used for cooking at home. A special place in cooking is occupied by the flesh of mangosteen. It is often used to make fruit dishes, salads, or as a complement to spicy dishes.

Also, the dried peel of the fruit is often added to tea, which gives the drink a unique sweet-sour taste and tart exotic flavor. Another option for using the peel of a tropical fruit is to grind it into powder for subsequent addition to cosmetics and traditional medicine.
  And mangosteen oil is often added to various cosmetics, because very few skin care products have the antibacterial effect of the tropical fruit essential oil. In addition, a hair mask with the addition of a few drops of mangosteen essential oil will be able to give hair shine, softness, the roots of such a healing mask will receive additional nutrition. With mangosteen oil, you will forget about dandruff and split ends.

Mangosteen juice is a common ingredient in the preparation of sauces, desserts, flour-based products. And some people even use seeds of an exotic fruit in cooking: they are fried or boiled. Also, the juice of this tropical fruit helps to lose weight and get rid of body fat.

Harm magustina

The possible harm that a mangosteen can do is minimal. The only negative point is associated with individual intolerance to the fruit. Today, mangosteen does not have other contraindications.

To compensate for the lack of vitamins in the body, we eat vegetables and fruits in kilograms, not forgetting the pharmacy vitamin complexes. It would be great if one fruit or vegetable contained a sufficient amount of all sorts of usefulness! He ate him and was calm. What do you say if you find out that such a product exists? He is called the king of fruits. This is a mangosteen. Do not confuse it with (by the way, in this article, mangoes are also called the “king of fruits”). They have nothing in common, neither appearance nor taste, except that both are exotic fruits and “kings”. Although mangoes are no longer so exotic for us ...

The correct name for the fruit is mangosteen. But you can hear both mangosteen and mangosteen - a photo of an amazing fruit is shown to you for identification. Interestingly, you will not find mangosteen just like that in the wild, like or. Mangosteen is a hybrid or, in a scientific way, polyploid of two types of trees. And it happened without human intervention. Natural cultivation combined and multiplied the characteristics of both prototypes, which increased the content of each useful substance separately.

There is still an amazing fact. Mangosteen - fruit and tree are asexual and do not even need to be pollinated by bees, birds or butterflies. Flowers have both male and female signs, which means they self-fertilize. This effect is called parthenogenesis. Moreover, there is no nectar in the flowers, from the point of view of birds and insects this flowering tree is absolutely useless and therefore they do not even approach the queen of fruits. So she stands in proud royal loneliness. Well, this is the fate of the royal people. And sometimes they cut off their heads on the guillotine ...

What is useful in mangosteen?

Due to the fact that mangosteen is a polyploid, it contains vitamins and necessary microelements in a larger volume than in “pure” fruits. And the mangosteen distributes its useful properties royally.

• It contains carbohydrates, proteins, and even fats. Calorie content of 100 grams of fruit is only 65 kcal.
• Mangosteen is also rich in sugar derivatives: glucose, sucrose, fructose.
• Of the vitamins you can mention (there are a lot of it), vitamin E and thiamine, it is also vitamin B1.
• Minerals such as calcium, iron, potassium and phosphorus will also not be superfluous.

But most of all, mangosteen is valued for its content - xanthones, and there are already 39 out of 200 known to medicine in them! Xanthones support our heart and blood vessels, fight viruses, tone the body, stimulate brain activity.

Everything is useful in mangosteen - from pulp to peel and leaves with bark. After tasting the fruit, do not throw away the skin - it is rich. And this is a tool to combat dysentery, diarrhea and various skin diseases.

Mangosteen can be eaten by everyone. Unless individual intolerance to this miracle fruit is discovered.

Mangosteen. How to eat and choose fruit?

On sale, you can rarely find mangosteen in the form of fruit - it is very difficult to transport. Therefore, it stands like a fruit from the royal table. The second reason for this price is the difficulty of growing it. He needs a tropical climate with high humidity and fresh waters, without strong winds and on well-fertilized organic soil. Most of all, the climate of Thailand, China, Singapore suits him. Therefore, it is not possible to grow mangosteen at home.

You will be in Thailand - buy mangosteen on the local market - a fruit with a red-violet hard peel and delicate flesh of a snow-white color. It costs in the local markets from 0.5 to 4.6 dollars per kilogram.

Inspect the fruit. The skin should be dense, but not dry, not soft, not hard and without cracks. If they offer such a fruit - it is already overripe or not yet ripe. There is very little delicious pulp in a small fruit. Yes, of course, the peel of mangosteen is very valuable, but we want to enjoy an exotic taste, and not just good, right?

Cut the stem, and remove the peel with a knife, making cross-shaped incisions. Now the skin can be removed. Inside are slices of pulp. Moreover, the smaller they are, the less seeds are in them. It is important not to touch the pulp so that the juice does not leak. Immediately do not cut all the mangosteen. Whole fruits can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

The taste of mangosteen is a bit like ours or the lychee who has already tried it. The taste of the pulp is sweet and sour, the smell is not sugary, but fresh. Usually it is eaten fresh, and served in a boat with crushed ice. Such an icy substrate adds freshness to the taste of mangosteen. Thai food is spicy, and mangosteen can refresh your mouth. Thais add it to pies and cocktails, fruit and spicy salads, make soufflé and prepare curry sauce, which is served with local fish and other seafood. Thais do not throw out the peel, but after processing it in a special way, they make jelly.

Mangosteen and modern science

In America, mangosteen is not particularly popular in fresh or dried form. But the Utah company Xango did medical research. And this is what turned out as a result of the experiments.

If, according to a certain formula, the skin, pulp and mangosteen seeds are simultaneously processed quickly and amniotic pulp (i.e., the whole fruit) is processed, its healing properties are enhanced, including the effectiveness of natural antioxidants. They are able to overcome or slow down cancer, restore strength after surgery, relieve allergies, reduce excess weight (Kate Moss model confirms this), restore the liver and cleanse the blood, normalize the stomach and intestines, even relieve migraines and prolong youth.

Xango launched Xango juice and a series of fruit-based cosmetic products. The name juice is given by the active substance contained in the fetus - xanton.

However, do not flatter yourself. Yes, XanGo juice contains 100% mangosteen fruit, but with it also juices, strawberries, red grapes, and. Each of the added juices in turn carries the healing power of the body. So pay attention to the packaging.

Why don't they make Xango juice only from mangosteen? The peel of the fruit has an unpleasant, bitter taste. Therefore, it is “slaughtered" by the aroma of other fruits. In fact, it is the crust that is therapeutic. Therefore, if you happen to visit Thailand, instead of traditional souvenirs, grab a peel without fail. Dry it, grind it into powder and add to dishes that you cook for yourself. There will certainly be no harm.

By the way, you can try to sprout a seed. But will a fruit like mangosteen be able to take root in our climate? Growing at home has not yet been crowned with success.

Mangosteen. Past and future

Surprisingly, mangosteen was known in the past and in the future. Wikipedia knows the legend. Buddha rode through a forest riding a white elephant. I saw an amazing fruit on a 25-meter tree, plucked it and tried it. Healing powers, taste fell to the taste of the Buddha, and he presented it to people as a magical fruit that can cope with many ailments. We do not know if such a person as Buddha actually existed, but the mangosteen is quite real.

And in the future, the girl Alice (the film “A Guest from the Future”) prepared a bromboulette from mangosteen, frying it in petroleum oil. It is a pity that you and I, neither the girl Julia, nor the boy Kolya will be able to try this dish. After all, the angelin peters from whom this oil is obtained grow on the planet Cerberus, which is in the galactic system of Alpha Centauri.

Although ... Who knows, we will board a spaceship or starship and fly to the Cerberus market for the oil of the angelina peteyars. And mangosteen flip from Thailand. And then we will certainly enjoy the dish according to the recipe of Alisa Selezneva. The main thing is not to have time to wake up until we finish eating.

Mangosteen, mangosteen or mangosteen (Latin: Garcinia mangostana) is an exotic fruit that grows on an evergreen tree, whose height reaches 25 cm. It has a pyramidal crown, pink leaves and a bark of black-brown color. The birthplace of mangosteen is Southeast Asia. The mangosteen fruit, or, as it is also called, mangkut, is grown in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia and other countries. In the wild, it does not occur.

The fruit itself has a hard peel of burgundy-violet color, 5-10 mm thick. Inside - white pulp, which is divided into 4−8 segments. The taste is similar to an orange. There are bones inside.

Useful properties of mangosteen

Garcinia contains a large number of elements useful for the human body. Among them, it is worth noting the vitamins of groups B, C, A, copper, magnesium, potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus, zinc, iron, xanthones (natural antioxidants), manganese.

Given such a rich composition, the beneficial properties of mangosteen are obvious. On the human body, this fruit has the following effects:

• anti-inflammatory - eliminates inflammatory processes, prevents the appearance of arthritis, glaucoma and other diseases;
• immunostimulating - improves the functioning of the lymphatic system, strengthens the immune system;
• antiallergic - reduces the intensity of allergic reactions;
• antibacterial - xanthones enter the cells and kill bacteria;
• protective - increases the body’s protection from negative external influences;
• antioxidant - increases the formation of elastin and collagen, which are necessary for prolonging youth, helps the body get rid of harmful substances;
• anticancer - xanthones contribute to the self-destruction of cancer cells.

In addition, mangosteen normalizes the body as a whole. It improves metabolic processes, therefore it is often used for weight loss.

How to eat mangosteen fruit?

Useful and incredibly delicious fruit mangosteen is used for the preparation of salads, juices and cocktails. In addition, it is part of pies, sauces for fish and meat dishes. Souffle is made from it. Mangosteen makes dishes fresher and piquant, gives them an unusual citrus flavor and aroma. If you chop the pulp of the fruit, it can be included in yoghurts or ice cream, and these desserts will be doomed to success.

It is interesting! In some states, mangosteen is dried and canned. For example, in Asia they make jam from it. To do this, the pulp is boiled with cinnamon and brown sugar. Even the softest part of the peel is used to make jelly.

How to eat fresh mangosteen fruit? First you need to cut it correctly. There are several ways to do this:

• remove the leaves, put a little pressure on top, and when the fruit crackes, get the pulp - this option is suitable only in the case of a ripe fruit;
• make an incision in a circle without touching the pulp, and then open the peel;
• cut off the top and eat fruit with a spoon.

The most common and at the same time simple way of serving is crushed flesh on a crushed ice substrate.

Calorie content

The energy value of mangosteen varies between 60–65 kcal per 100 g, which depends on the content of organic components in the pulp. This is due to the degree of maturity and other factors. On average, the composition of 100 g of fruit is as follows:

• proteins - 0.5 g;
• fats - 0.4 g;
• carbohydrates - 15 g;
• sugar - 16.5 g;
• fiber - 5 g.

On a note! To replenish 13% of fiber from the required norm per day, you will have to eat only 100 g of fetal pulp.

Slimming mangosteen

Due to its ability to enhance metabolic processes and break down fat deposits, mangosteen is used for weight loss. In this case, you can simply eat a certain amount of fruit fresh daily or use syrup or powder.

Before you start taking a weight loss product, it is important to familiarize yourself with its composition. According to manufacturers, only natural components are used for its manufacture. The syrup has the following composition:

• mangosteen fruit itself;
• vitamin complex;
• minerals.

No dyes, preservatives or other harmful substances are included in the syrup. This means that this drug can not bring harm. But, despite the simple composition, the syrup is quite effective. As the results of the study show, it includes as many antioxidants as there are not in any means for losing weight. To produce one can of syrup, 25 fruits are used.

Mangosteen for weight loss is quite effective, but not only in the breakdown of body fat his merit. It restores the hormonal background, and also normalizes the general condition of the body.

Mangosteen powder is simple and convenient to use. In addition, besides internal, it is intended for external use. It can be added to cocktails, dishes or used separately to make a drink. As an external agent, it is suitable for anti-cellulite wraps, as well as other home cosmetic procedures.

Contraindications

Since the xanthones contained in the mangosteen affect the blood coagulation process, people who take blood thinners should stop using it.

In people prone to allergies, mangosteen can cause reactions in the form of a rash, redness, itching, minor joint pain. If such conditions occur, the use of fruit should be discontinued.

As for women during pregnancy, it is better for them to consult a doctor, since accurate data regarding the consumption of fruit by this category of people have not yet been received.

Video

This video talks about the beneficial properties of mangosteen, and also shows how to properly cut the fetus.

As soon as an exotic fruit is not called mangosteen, which grows in the hot tropics of Southeast Asia, Central America and Africa - mangosteen, mangosteen, garcinia, mancut ... It resembles an apple with a thick purple or brown peel, inside of which there is a white edible pulp in the form of juicy slices white, similar to garlic. In some segments, you can find edible seeds that taste like acorns. On the lower part of the fruit, a flower is drawn by nature, the number of petals of which coincides with the number of lobules inside.

A feature of mangosteen is a slight acidity, which is present even in ripe fruits. The taste of pulp can be described as a combination of citrus fruits, grapes, pineapple, strawberries, peaches and apricots. Sweet, slightly sour white slices, juicy, jelly-like and fragrant, melt in your mouth and perfectly quench your thirst. Tasting mangosteen can turn into a real culinary experience for those who have never encountered such exotic things.

Choose a ripe mangosteen

When choosing a mangosteen, pay attention to the color of the leaves crowning the crown of the fruit — they should be bright green, not brown. The brown color of the leaves indicates that the mangosteen is overripe and begins to deteriorate, so it is better not to risk it. Another sign of spoiled fruit is that the peel is too hard, like a watermelon, because ripe mangosteen is elastic and slightly springy when pressed.

Exotic fruit has one unique feature - if it rotted, it does not affect its appearance. The only way to check the quality of the fruit is to touch it and carefully examine the leaves, preferring large fruits to small ones, since the latter contain less pulp.

How to eat mangosteen?

Before you eat a healthy, delicious fruit, you need to cut it correctly, and you can do this in several ways. The first is the simplest: tear off the upper leaves (if the fruit is very ripe) and slightly press on the top of the fruit, as a result of which it will crack and release ripe pulp. The second method is more aesthetic: make a circular incision with a knife, without touching the pulp, and open the fruit. However, such manipulation should not be done with hard fruits, so as not to injure the hand. You can also cut the upper part of the mangosteen with a knife, and eat the pulp with a spoon.

Mangosteen is eaten fresh, but it is stored in the refrigerator for two weeks. Fruits with pristine skin can lie for a month at high humidity and a temperature of + 3-6 ° C. The refreshing taste, combined with the beneficial properties, make the fruit especially valuable, its flavonoids are considered natural antidepressants, which are found in abundance in dark chocolate and ground coffee.

Mangosteen is also being cooked!

  This delicious tropical fruit is used in the preparation of juices, exotic salads, fruit cocktails, mousses, sweet toppings for pies, soufflés and savory meat and fish sauces. Mangosteen gives the dishes freshness, sophistication and citrus flavor. It is enough to cut the pulp of the fruit into small pieces and add them to yogurt, salad or ice cream - the success of the dish is guaranteed!

In some countries, young mangosteen canned and dried, however, heat treatment reduces the aromatic and taste properties of the fruit. Mangosteen jam is considered a tasty dessert in Asia - for this, the white flesh is not cooked for long with brown sugar and cinnamon. Fruit seeds are fried and used for food, and delicious jellies are made from soft peels.