The season of the queen of fruits has arrived, and many are searching for ways to select mangosteen that has white fluffy flesh, is sweet and juicy, and has thin skin. We have simple tips to observe the stem and skin to find delicious mangosteen to your liking.
Mangosteen is acclaimed as the "queen of fruits" paired with durian, known as the king of fruits. With its sweet-tart flavor, refreshing taste, and cooling properties, mangosteen is excellent for beating the heat during Thailand’s fruit season. However, many consumers face issues buying mangosteen with hard shells that are difficult to peel or flesh mixed with yellow latex. According to fruit farmers’ advice, the correct way to select mangosteen can be easily identified by its external characteristics as follows.
The first step in selecting mangosteen is to check freshness. The stem should be bright green, not dry or shriveled. The sepals attached to the stem should also be green. If the stem and sepals are darkened or very dry, it usually indicates the fruit has been stored for a long time, and the flesh inside might be bruised or the shell hardened, making peeling difficult.
The ripeness level can be judged by the skin color. For mangosteen ready to eat with sweet juicy flesh, the skin should be dark purple to nearly black. If the skin is still reddish-purple, the flesh will have a sweet and sour taste, suitable for those who prefer a tangier flavor or want to store it for 1-2 more days.
Another important tip is to gently squeeze the skin with your thumb and forefinger. If the skin slightly yields and has elasticity all around, it indicates the mangosteen is perfectly ripe with thin skin and no hard flesh issues (sometimes called dragon mangosteen). If it feels very hard like stone, do not buy it.
The ridges at the bottom indicate the number of flesh segments inside. If the bottom has many ridges (about 6-8), the fruit usually has many flesh segments with small shriveled seeds, making it easier to eat and giving a fluffier texture compared to fruits with fewer ridges.
Choosing fresh mangosteen with white fluffy flesh and no bothersome latex is simple by paying attention to skin color, stem freshness, gently squeezing to check softness, and counting the ridges at the bottom. With these tips, you can fully enjoy the deliciousness of the queen of fruits and get great value.