Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), also called mangostan or purple mangosteen, is a tropical evergreen tree with edible fruit native to the Malay Peninsula and Borneo. It has been cultivated extensively in tropical Asia since ancient times. It is grown mainly in Southeast Asia, southwest India and other tropical areas such as Colombia, Puerto Rico and Florida, where the tree has been introduced. The tree grows from tall. The seeds are of similar size and shape to almonds.
The genus Garcinia also contains several less-known fruit-bearing species, such as the button mangosteen (G. prainiana) and the charichuelo (G. madruno).
Description
Tree
thumb|right|Mangosteen tree
thumb|Basket of fresh mangosteens
A tropical tree, the mangosteen must be grown in consistently warm conditions, as exposure to temperatures below for prolonged periods will usually kill a mature plant. They are known to recover from brief cold spells rather well, often with damage only to young growth. Experienced horticulturists have grown this species outdoors, and brought them to fruit in extreme south Florida.
Once the developing mangosteen fruit has stopped expanding, chlorophyll synthesis slows as the next colour phase begins. Initially streaked with red, the exocarp pigmentation transitions from green to red to dark purple, indicating a final ripening stage. This entire process takes place over a period of ten days as the edible quality of the fruit peaks. Over the days following removal from the tree, the exocarp hardens to an extent depending upon post-harvest handling and ambient storage conditions, especially relative humidity levels. If the ambient humidity is high, exocarp hardening may take a week or longer when the flesh quality is peaking and excellent for consumption. However, after several additional days of storage, especially if unrefrigerated, the flesh inside the fruit might spoil without any obvious external indications. Using the hardness of the rind as an indicator of freshness for the first two weeks following harvest is therefore unreliable because the rind does not accurately reveal the interior condition of the flesh. If the exocarp is soft and yielding as it is when ripe and fresh from the tree, the fruit is usually good. The main volatile components having caramel, grass and butter notes as part of the mangosteen fragrance are hexyl acetate, hexenol and α-copaene.
Origins and history
Cultivated mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana var. mangostana) is dioecious, but male trees are unknown. The trees produce viable seeds via apomixis, where all the embryos are essentially clones of the mother. Its extensive cultivation has made its original native range difficult to ascertain. Garcinia mangostana var. mangostana is likely to be the domesticated descendant of wild populations of Garcinia mangostana var. malaccensis (previously thought to be a separate species) and Garcinia mangostana var. borneensis, native to the Malay Peninsula and Borneo respectively. Both of these wild varieties still possess male trees, unlike the domesticated mangosteen. It may have also hybridized to a limited extent with closely related species, including Garcinia penangiana and Garcinia venulosa.
Mangosteens are highly valued for their juicy, delicate texture and slightly sweet and sour flavor. The mangosteen has been cultivated in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Borneo, Sumatra, Mainland Southeast Asia, and the Philippines since ancient times. The 15th-century Chinese record Yingya Shenglan described mangosteen as mang-chi-shih (derived from Malay manggis), a native plant of Southeast Asia of white flesh with a delectable sweet and sour taste.
thumb|Flowers and fruit of the mangosteen, and Singapore monkey, by [[Marianne North, before 1890]]
A description of mangosteen was included in the Species Plantarum by Linnaeus in 1753. The mangosteen was introduced into English greenhouses in 1855. Subsequently, its culture was introduced into the Western Hemisphere, where it became established in West Indies islands, especially Jamaica. It was later established on the American mainland in Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, and Ecuador. The mangosteen tree generally does not grow well outside the tropics.
In Southeast Asia, mangosteen is commonly known as the "Queen of Fruits", and is frequently paired with durian, the "King of Fruits". In Chinese food therapy, mangosteen is considered "cooling", making it a good counterbalance to the "heaty" durian. it is not substantiated by any known historical document. Since 2006, private small-volume orders for fruits grown in Puerto Rico have been sold to American specialty food stores and gourmet restaurants who serve the flesh segments as a delicacy dessert. Vegetative propagation is difficult and seedlings are more robust and reach fruiting earlier than vegetatively propagated plants. Transplanting takes place in the rainy season because young trees are likely to be damaged by drought. with relative humidity over 80%. Mangosteen trees need a well-distributed rainfall over the year (<40 mm/month) and a 3–5 week dry season. Breeding objectives that may enhance mangosteen production include:
Pestalotiopsis leaf blight (Pestalotiopsis flagisettula, only identified in Thailand) is one of the diseases that infect especially young leaves.
Uses
thumb|right|Young fruit
Culinary
Without fumigation or irradiation to kill the Asian fruit fly, fresh mangosteens were illegal to import into the United States until 2007. Following export from its natural growing regions in Southeast Asia (particularly Thailand), the fresh fruit is available seasonally in some local markets in North America such as those of Chinatowns.
Upon arrival in the US in 2007, fresh mangosteens sold at up to in specialty produce stores in New York City, but wider availability and somewhat lower prices have become common in the United States and Canada. Despite efforts described above to grow mangosteen in the Western Hemisphere, nearly the entire supply is imported from Thailand.
Before ripening, the mangosteen shell is fibrous and firm but becomes soft and easy to pry open when the fruit ripens. To open a mangosteen, the shell can be scored with a knife, pried gently along the score with the thumbs until it cracks, and then pulled apart to reveal the fruit. In Southeast Asian countries, the mangosteen is usually served with the bottom part of the shell intact. Occasionally, during peeling of ripe fruits, the purple exocarp juice may stain skin or fabric. although there is no high-quality clinical evidence for any of these effects.
In art
thumb|Tampuk manggis songket motif
The extract of mangosteen peels is traditionally used in Indonesia as natural dye for coloring tenun ikat and batik textiles in brown, dark brown, purple or red hues.
The mangosteen's lobed calyx () is a common pattern in Malay fabrics like the songket, it symbolises one's pleasant character regardless of their appearance.
Other uses
Mangosteen twigs have been used as chew sticks in Ghana, and the wood has been used to make spears and cabinetry in Thailand. The rind of the mangosteen fruit has also been used to tan leather in China.
Phytochemicals
Mangosteen peel contains xanthonoids, such as mangostin, and other phytochemicals. Additionally, there is no standard product quality assessment or grading system, making international trade of the fruit difficult.