Mangosteen

In the late 19th century, it was rumoured Queen Victoria would grant a knighthood to anyone who brought her mangosteen. This, as well as its superb flavour, was enough to earn the mangosteen a new name, "the queen of fruits".

Still today, these small purple-skinned fruits are very highly regarded, and for good reason. Beneath their hard skin is fibrous, white, segmented flesh that is refreshingly juicy and has a delightful flavour: one bite of mangosteen's delicate flesh will dazzle your tongue with a distinctive combination of both sweet and citrus notes, and the succulent flesh will create an explosion of flavours in your mouth. We'd say the taste is most comparable to a mouthwatering mix of lychee, peach, grape and pineapple, although some people liken mangosteen to sherbet!

Mangosteen are most often eaten fresh out of hand, but they are also ideal for use in a variety of food and drink recipes. We'd particularly recommend using them to make scrumptious jams (perfect for adding some exotic flavour to your toast!), blending them to create creamy smoothies, and serving them with ice cream, a spectacularly flavoursome dessert. Check out the 'Further information' tab below for some of our favourite mangosteen recipes, including a heavenly panna cotta!