Bonnie: I hadn’t a clue what it was or how to eat the dark purple, almost brown, hard-shelled tropical fruit when I saw it among other fruit in a welcome basket at my hotel in Kuala Lumpur in the early ‘90s. Thank goodness the hotel included a pamphlet not only describing the exotic fruit, but how to eat each as well.

I stuck a sharp knife through, and around, the hard shell of the mangosteen to access this odd looking clementine-size orb, as instructed. Twisting its hard cap-like stem, I then carefully removed the top part of the shell and revealed the white segments nestled inside.

Ethereal. Those juicy segments practically melted in my mouth.

I’ve relished this exotic fruit on many occasions since then, each time in its native habitat.

Until this year, mangosteens were not available in the continental US. But now the Food and Drug Administration is allowing in the fresh mangosteens from Thailand, once they are irradiated.

Irradiation is a process where food is exposed to radiation to destroy bacteria, viruses or insects that might be present. It’s a process that’s used in more than 40 countries, and is considered safe.

This fruit is not exactly the same-tasting incredibly sweet mangosteen I’ve eaten in KL or Bali or Dubai, but it’s delicious and a giant step toward introducing the mangosteen to those who haven’t been lucky enough to eat it where it grows.

In Zanzibar earlier this year, I luxuriated in fresh super-sweet, pineapple, mango, passion fruit and papaya that had none of the acidity I find in those same fruit when eaten stateside. I’d say most fruits are best eaten locally in their native habitat.

We’ve chosen Melissa’s mangosteen as a FeaturedBite not because this is the best mangosteen we’ve ever tasted – but because this exotic fruit is now available fresh in the US. While it’s delicious here, it’s just more delectable in its natural environment.

BTW: The fruit is ripe and ready to eat from the store; you can keep it refrigerated for about a week.

Bryan: I like to think I’m well versed about all things food, but, in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I had no idea that mangosteens even existed before receiving a shipment earlier this week. My education began when Melissa’s fresh mangosteens arrived; packs of four little plumlike fruits with a hard purple rind and a truly surprising, bizarre and delightful inside.

Getting into this fruit is job number one and it’s not an obvious task for your everyday apple eater; the mangosteen is a project that will definitely require tools. Thankfully, a paring knife dragged deliberately around the circumference of the fruit should allow you to easily remove the outer shell, exposing the bright white segmented flesh beneath. Imagine an orange and a peach mating. Now imagine that their child is an albino. Bam – you’ve got a mangosteen.

The mangosteen is small in stature, producing just a few bites of edible goodness per fruit, but tall on taste. Closing my eyes, I detected hints of nectarine, peach and citrus, a unified fruit flavor completely foreign, yet familiar, to me. The solid texture is more peach than orange, but the segment presentation is more orange than peach. It’s a truly fun food and a real source of enjoyment for me. Don’t you just love finding a new food that you’ve never seen before, and you actually like?

I immediately had to know what could be done with this miraculous new fruit. Mangosteen recipes are available for many cocktail creations, but sweet or savory fares seem few and far between. To get the ball rolling, here is an adaptation of a classic French dessert done with the new fruit. The combination of Asian flavors and French techniques are an astonishing pair that never ceases to amaze me.

Thai Mangosteen Clafouti

  • 5 mangosteens
  • 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch or all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup rice flour or all-purpose flour
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish (or four to six ramekins). Prepare mangosteens: Remove white segments of fruit; remove all pits. Toss fruit with cornstarch (or flour) and 1 T sugar. Arrange mixture in the casserole dish or ramekins. Set aside.

In large bowl, whisk eggs with salt and 1/2 cup sugar. Whisk in the rice flour until smooth. Add coconut milk, lemon zest and vanilla extract; whisk to blend ingredients. Pour into prepared dish, covering the fruit. The fruit may float in the egg mixture.

Bake 55 minutes to 1 hour, or until mixture is set in the middle and lightly browned. (If using ramekins, place in a baking dish with water reaching one-third up the sides of the dish before baking.)

Serve warm, topped — if desired — with ice cream or whipped cream.

Aside from a delicious desert, the mangosteen may oddly end up in your medicine cabinet, maybe even become your next Advil. The Mayo Clinic has reported that, “Like many fruits and vegetables, mangosteens are a rich source of antioxidants. Antioxidants are natural compounds in foods that may protect against certain diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. Mangosteens also contain some unique chemicals called xanthones, which appear to have potent anti-inflammatory effects in the laboratory…. A number of laboratory and animal studies suggest that mangosteens have significant anti-inflammatory effects.”

I love my job. And I suggest putting the mangosteen on your “bucket list.”

Eric: I don’t know what more to say about the mangosteen. My mother has written about her first encounter with the fruit and her theory about the value of tasting it (and other fruit) in its natural habitat, and my brother has shared his insights on the particular taste and texture of the fruit, and on the documented health benefits of eating it. Now that it’s my turn to write about the mangosteen, the only thing left is to give my opinion on this “platypus” of the fruit world.

Like my brother, I had never heard of the fruit and was surprised by its appearance when it arrived at the house. I’d learned that Melissa’s was the first company to bring the mangosteen into the US, and being the fruit fan that I am, I was excited to cut one open. Alas, I would honestly describe it as an albino kiwi that has been segmented and stripped of taste. There is some hint of flavor, but nothing that brings me back for seconds. At best, mangosteens can be a nice conversation piece at a meal, but I wouldn’t go out of my way (even with its purported medicinal benefits) to stock my fridge with them. Give it a try and let us know what you think. I’m very curious to read other opinions about it.