It turns out nearly every person I know is a big old expert in something, and boy do you all want to make sure everybody knows all about your personal obsession. Keep your offers coming, and I'll keep posting them.
My brother's queer best friend, Jeremy, is a stealthy fruit. I mean, fruit aficionado. And his most recent obsession in natural sweet-loving goodness -- the legendary mangosteen -- has required acts of derring and do, as they say, simply to taste. It's the best forbidden fruit since Eve's apple!
I made him do all the sexy translation work himself.
What every 'mo should know about mangosteens:
- Because of their beautiful purple rind, their pure white flesh, and their subtle but delectable flavor, mangosteens are known as the queen of fruit. To eat them, one must carefully (seriously, bloody hands aren't sexy!) cut open or crack open the rind, and then pull off each segment for eating. The fruit segments are similar in size to a tangerine.
- There is a longstanding myth that Queen Victoria either requested or was offered a mangosteen from one of her subjects, but that no fruit ever made it to her, because the people bringing the mangosteens were never able to resist eating it en route.
- Mangosteens are currently nearly impossible to find in the continental United States. There are rumors that they can be found occasionally in Chinatown districts in New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, but I've never been successful. However, there are a few rays of light. The most pleasurable option is to take a trip to Southeast Asia (think Thailand), where they are readily available. What better excuse can one have for an impromptu vacation? Or, one can find them in some parts of Hawaii, or in Canada. For the rest of us, the USDA has decided to allow the importation of mangosteens (along with a few other tropical fruits) starting at the end of this month. Because of their growing season, they may not arrive right away, but be sure to ask for them at your local tropical fruit vendor.
- Mangosteen juice is renowned for its health benefits, because of the presence of xanthones. However, the true benefit of a mangosteen is its unique and delicious flavor - so skip the juice and head straight for the fruit. If you need something healthy to drink, too, try some kombucha!
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