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Aroy Mak Mak

Mangosteen

มังคุด

Mangkhut: the “queen of fruits”, snowy segments inside a hard purple shell.

Mangosteen

Mangosteen is called the queen of fruits, and durian the king. Inside its thick, deep purple rind are four to eight snow-white segments that are soft, juicy and both sweet and tart. Many people who try one in Thailand say it is the best fruit they have ever eaten.

Pronunciationmang-koot
FlavourSweet-tart, juicy and delicate, like peach, lychee and pineapple
SeasonMay to September, peaking in May and June
EatenFresh, on its own

Where it grows

Mangosteen trees need heat and humidity, and grow mainly in the eastern provinces of Chanthaburi, Rayong and Trat, and in the south, in Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani. The eastern crop arrives first, in May and June; the southern crop follows into August and September.

How to open it

Hold the fruit in both hands and press firmly with your thumbs around the middle until the rind cracks, then pull it apart. Or score around the middle with a knife, cutting only through the rind, and twist the halves apart. The purple juice stains clothes and wooden boards, so be careful.

Turn the fruit over before opening it: the number of petal-like lobes on the bottom tells you how many segments are inside.

Choosing and storing

Choose fruit with a deep purple, slightly glossy rind that gives a little when squeezed. Rock-hard rinds mean old fruit that has dried out inside. Green caps that look fresh are a good sign. Eat them within a few days; refrigerated, they keep for about a week but the rind hardens.

Cook’s tip

Thais say mangosteen “cools” the body after eating “hot” durian, so the two are often eaten together. It is also a good excuse to buy both.

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