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Mangostines in Texas

Jaymes

By Jaymes
in Texas: Cooking & Baking

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Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
Posted

Anyone know where I can find mangostines in Texas? I've asked at the produce departments of both Central Market and Whole Foods (several times in fact over the course of about a year), and nobody seems to have even heard of them.

Does anyone know?

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

theabroma

theabroma

Posted
Posted

From time to time you will find them in Central Market and in some of the larger Asian markets. Problem is, I have no idea when their season is. I'll check it out.

Theabroma

Sharon Peters aka "theabroma"

The lunatics have overtaken the asylum

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted

August was mangosteen season in Terengganu, but they don't export very well. Better than rambutan do, but not very well.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
Mangosteens, native to Malaysia and Indonesia?

I suggest emailing or calling Tom Spicer at SpiceAirUnlimited.com. If he can't find it, no one can.

Not on their website that I could find (with either spelling, both of which I've seen). But I did notice that they seem to be based in Dallas. I drive through there frequently. Is there a market or something where I could go?

Edited by Jaymes (log)

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

Richard Kilgore

Richard Kilgore

Posted
Posted

Jaymes – Don’t worry about it being on the website or not. Just call or email Tom Spicer. The 800# is on their website. He is primarily a high quality produce, herb and spice grower, sourcer, wholesaler to the best restaurants. They have just started doing some retail, but it's all web-based as far as I know. He has told me that if you don’t see it on the website to just email or call and ask him.

Richard Kilgore

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Brew, sip, discuss.

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prasantrin

prasantrin

Posted
Posted
BTW, what are you going to do with them? Yes, eat them. I know. But I am curious about why this particular, exotic, hard-if-not-impossible-to-find fruit?

Mangosteen are incredibly delicious and once you're addicted, you need your fix :smile: . To illustrate this...my father is Thai and he left Thailand when he was about 16 to attend school abroad. He moved back roughly 16 years later and my mother followed a few months later. When she finally arrived at their house, he excitedly lead her to the refrigerator, opened it and said, "Look!" just as a little kid might do. The refrigerator was filled from top to bottom with mangosteen (and this was a regular-sized fridge). He had been deprived of mangosteen for so long that he went a bit overboard when he finally had access to them again. Talk about going on a binge...

Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
BTW, what are you going to do with them? Yes, eat them. I know. But I am curious about why this particular, exotic, hard-if-not-impossible-to-find fruit?

Well, I'm afraid I'm going to do nothing more exotic with them than slice them open and scoop out that beautiful pulp.

Sadly, I became addicted to them while living in Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Panama. I've been looking for them ever since I returned to the US. When I lived in California, I did find them occasionally at Asian markets, but haven't been able to find them in Texas. About a year or so ago, someone said (on eGullet) that they had found them at Whole Foods in Atlanta, so, all excited, I hopped in the car and raced down there (to our Whole Foods here in Austin, I guess I should clarify, not to Atlanta).

No luck.

It just came to me that perhaps someone on the rapidly expanding Texas boards might have some ideas.

Edited by Jaymes (log)

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

fifi

fifi

Posted
Posted

I will try to check out Fiesta or Hong Kong Market here. However, now that I know what one looks like, I don't think I have ever seen them at either place.

The horticultural characteristics of the tree as described at that link do not look very promising. Seems to be one picky bitch. :biggrin:

Linda LaRose aka "fifi"

"Having spent most of my life searching for truth in the excitement of science, I am now in search of the perfectly seared foie gras without any sweet glop." Linda LaRose

Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
The horticultural characteristics of the tree as described at that link do not look very promising. Seems to be one picky bitch. :biggrin:

Boy I'll say. I guess I'd better not get my hopes up.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted

I found this curious:

The rind is rich in pectin. After treatment with 6% sodium chloride to eliminate astringency, the rind is made into a purplish jelly.

I've never heard of anyone using the rind for anything. I don't consider it edible. Why would you want to make jelly out of something inedible?

Michael aka "Pan"

 

SethG

SethG

Posted
Posted

R.W. Apple had an article in the NY Times a few months ago that said it's illegal to import them to the U.S.

"I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast;

but we like hot butter on our breakfast toast!"

Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
R.W. Apple had an article in the NY Times a few months ago that said it's illegal to import them to the U.S.

That's interesting. I wonder if the person that said on eGullet that they had bought them in Atlanta was talking about the same thing. I know that I saw them occasionally when I was living in California.

I suppose it's possible that someone is growing them here, but from reading that article, it didn't sound likely.

Edited by Jaymes (log)

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

SethG

SethG

Posted
Posted (edited)

See here. This link is not to the NY Times, who will charge you a fee to see the article, but instead to another site that provides the article as a Word document download.

The culprits are the Dept. of Agriculture and the Med. Fruit Fly. While searching for the article I saw on another site that some importers freeze the fruit, import it (legally), then thaw it out and sell it as if it were fresh. Mr. Apple has high hopes for irradiation.

Edit: I'd love to taste one myself! I never have.

Edited by SethG (log)

"I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast;

but we like hot butter on our breakfast toast!"

Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
I wonder why it would be illegal to import Mangosteens? It's not as if they were going to run amuck and choke out something else.

:laugh:

Apparently not. I loved the part about how one tree, planted in special soil and given special treatment, managed to produce one fruit, and then died.

So clearly this isn't the Kudzu of the fruit world.

:biggrin:

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

Mudpuppie

Mudpuppie

Posted
Posted

The USDA people really, really don't want these in the country. I know this because I tried to cross the border with one. Got it at the Granville Market in Vancouver, thought it would be a cool souvenir.

Man, was that a scathing lecture.

amanda

Googlista

Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
The USDA people really, really don't want these in the country. I know this because I tried to cross the border with one. Got it at the Granville Market in Vancouver, thought it would be a cool souvenir.

Man, was that a scathing lecture.

I guess it's time to redirect my cravings.

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

Mudpuppie

Mudpuppie

Posted
Posted (edited)
I guess it's time to redirect my cravings.

...Or take a trip to B.C.

[Edit: Forgot to mention that the USDA woman -- who was actually pretty nice for a fruit Nazi -- told me that she'd let it slide this time, but that she could have fined me $100 for the single mangosteen, and $1000 if I had been carrying more.]

Edited by Mudpuppie (log)

amanda

Googlista

Jaymes

Jaymes

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
I guess it's time to redirect my cravings.

...Or take a trip to B.C.

Ooooh, oooooh yeah. That's the ticket. What was I thinking? And as luck would have it, my favorite "hotel" in all the world is in Ladner.

Clearly that's exactly what I need to do. :rolleyes:

I don't understand why rappers have to hunch over while they stomp around the stage hollering.  It hurts my back to watch them. On the other hand, I've been thinking that perhaps I should start a rap group here at the Old Folks' Home.  Most of us already walk like that.

SethG

SethG

Posted
Posted

In the NY Times article, R.W. Apple prays that irradiation will be the breakthrough that brings the mangosteen to these shores.

"I don't mean to brag, I don't mean to boast;

but we like hot butter on our breakfast toast!"

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