Have you ever wondered exactly how to eat mangosteen?
I'll show you an easy way to cut this delicious exotic fruit as well as answer commonly asked questions about mangosteen! If it's your first time eating mangosteen, you are in for a real treat!
How to tell when mangosteen is ripe?
Slightly squeeze fresh mangosteen fruit to test its ripeness - the purple shell should yield slightly to gentle pressure, but not have any bruising or hard spots. The color should be a dark, purplish-burgundy. The darker the color, the sweeter it will taste!
How to Cut a Mangosteen
You'll need a cutting board and a sharp knife (I suggest using a serrated knife).
Hold the mangosteen against a cutting board. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut around the center of the fruit (if it is a globe, you would be cutting along the equator).
Gently hold the top stem and pull it away from the bottom of the fruit.
Using a fork or knife, pop the clove-shaped fruit pieces out of the skin to eat.
Mangosteen FAQs
Mangosteen has a sweet, juicy flavor that is similar to banana, lychee, and peach. It might have slightly sour flavors, but overall it is on the sweeter side. If you've tried cherimoya, you'll notice some similarities in texture and custard-like flavor of the white flesh.
Purple mangosteen skin (the hard outer peel) is inedible, although it is not toxic.
Yes, mangosteen is mainly eaten raw! There is not a lot of flesh in each fruit, so the best way to eat it raw on its own. I don't typically add mangosteen to fruit salads because the fruit is so good on its own!
Mangosteen has a short season, it is typically harvested and sold from April to August. Depending on the growing conditions, the season can be as short as 6 weeks though, making it difficult to reliably get mangosteens for a longer period of time.
How to Eat Mangosteen
Ingredients
- 1 ripe mangosteen
Instructions
- Hold the mangosteen against a cutting board. Use a sharp, serrated knife to cut around the center of the fruit (if it is a globe, you would be cutting along the equator).
- Gently pull the two sides of the peel apart.
- Using a fork or knife, pop the clove-shaped fruit pieces out of the skin to eat.
Susan says
I find it is easiest to cut the mangosteen fully in half (horizontally, at the equator) and then use the knife to lift the flesh out of the shell. The mangosteen tastes like a mix of overripe strawberries and lychee fruit.