Jump to content

  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Did I buy contraband?

west2100

By west2100
in Food Traditions & Culture

 Share

Recommended Posts

west2100

west2100

Posted
Posted

So today I was at a local asian market, and they had mangosteens. I bought 8.

Did I do something illegal? I'm near Atlanta, Georgia by the way.

My excitement overwhelmes any feeling of guilt however. It should be a good night.

west2100

west2100

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

That is precisely what I have. They had durian too, but I didn;t get any of that this time. Maybe later, when my roommate isn't here, haha.

Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

Posted
Posted

Pray tell us, was its creamy flesh scented with white roses and wildflowers?

Was its juice is a perfect balance with only faintest hints of sweetness and tartness?

Are you in love with your newfound prize? :wink:

Will you tell us your impressions after you eat one of the eight you purchased? :rolleyes:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

west2100

west2100

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I will be sure to let you know as soon as I sample it's divinity.

I went with another friend of mine, and the conditions were that we had to try them at the same time. Said friend is occupied until later in the day. Alas, the wait is excruciating.

Are these rare, even in asian markets? I was surprised to find them, but they seemed to be in fairly good supply.

Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

Posted
Posted

look at this!

A century ago, oranges were a rare treat; today they're one of Canada's three best-selling fruit. Kiwis, considered unappetizingly hairy before 1980, now rival cherries in popularity. This bodes well for mangosteens, rambutans and other exotic produce currently vying for our attention. Availability and demand have surged, thanks to growing ethnic communities, the rise of foodie culture and our increased penchant for travel. "More and more, we get people coming in looking for that really delicious thing they tried in Thailand,"
As the interest in this fruit grows, they have become increasingly available ... I imagine that this is true of many newer and more exotic fruits ...

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

fifi

fifi

Posted
Posted
I recently saw quart[?] jars of mangosteen juice at Costco

Oh man . . . Another reason to be upset that my closest Costco is over 50 miles away, with traffic.

Why would a mangosteen be illegal?

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

SuzySushi

SuzySushi

Posted
Posted

It's illegal to bring mangosteens into the USA (also difficult; they don't travel well), but the ones you bought were most likely grown here. There are a few small growers experimenting with them in the United States.

SuzySushi

"She sells shiso by the seashore."

My eGullet Foodblog: A Tropical Christmas in the Suburbs

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted

Yellow? I've never seen a yellow mangosteen. There's such a thing?

Pray tell us, was its creamy flesh scented with white roses and wildflowers?[...]

I never thought of mangosteen as being anything like a rose in any way. It's sweet, very juicy, and has a fragrance, but nothing like that of a rose. If anything, it's maybe comparable to a really good peach or nectarine, in some ways.

I wish I could get mangosteens in New York, and not for an arm and a leg. But I still like lychees best of all fruits.

west2100, how much did you pay for the 8 mangosteens?

Michael aka "Pan"

 

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted

If the mangosteens are just mediocre, that's still a great price!

Michael aka "Pan"

 

ladyyoung98

ladyyoung98

Posted
Posted (edited)

mangosteen

[MANG-uh-steen]

Widely cultivated in the Asian tropics, the mangosteen is no relation to the mango. In size and structure, it's much like a tangerine, having 5 to 8 fruit segments. The segmented flesh is soft, cream-colored and juicy. It has a tantalizingly sweet-tart flavor that is extremely refreshing. The hard skin of the mangosteen is a dark purple-brown. Unfortunately, the mangosteen is rarely imported to the United States.

i found this defintion for them on epicurious since i had no clue what one was...

given the definition though and the fact that it says its rarely importaed to the states..i have to wonder..exactly why it would be illegal...and why its not stated in the defintion..can somebody explain this to me?

Edited by ladyyoung98 (log)

a recipe is merely a suggestion

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted

Well, equatorial insects are very hardy and it would be hard to import things from Malaysia et al. -- especially agricultural products -- without insects and probably spiders and such hitching a ride. So that's my guess. But then, what about all those bananas from Equador and so forth? Are they in the ship so long that the crew can use pesticides to annihilate all the creatures hitching rides without committing mass suicide or something? I doubt it. So perhaps someone who really knows can explain.

That thick, hard skin makes mangosteens very unlike tangerines. I think only the segmentation is similar, nothing much else about it.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

srhcb

srhcb

Posted
Posted
I recently saw quart[?] jars of mangosteen juice at Costco

Oh man . . . Another reason to be upset that my closest Costco is over 50 miles away, with traffic.

Why would a mangosteen be illegal?

Maybe the growers smoke cigarettes?

west2100

west2100

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Ah, what a magical flavor these had.

You know that lingering after-taste after you vomit? These mangosteens had a distinct flavor akin to that revulsion. I would have to say they were probably brought over from whenever, oh, I don't know, Lewis and Clark journeyed to the pacific, saw a few lying on a beach, somehow brought them back to Georgia and they managed to lay dormant until picked up by me at an Asian Supermarket.

Maybe they were simply under-ripe, as they were pink, not white, on the inside, but either way, it was simply not what I was hoping for.

Another day, another time, perhaps I will find mangosteen absolution. But alas, today was not to be it.

aprilmei

aprilmei

Posted
Posted

It might be that the mangosteens had started to ferment. It happens occasionally - when you open it, it will smell like alcohol. The flesh is sometimes pink-ish or even grayish-white.

btw, the best way to open mangosteens is to press it with the heels of both hands until it cracks open. And take care because the purple shell can stain material and other things.

Susan G

Susan G

Posted
Posted

I've purchased canned mangosteens, and I thought they were inferior to lychees. Maybe it was the brand? Anybody eat these frequently?

I'm a canning clean freak because there's no sorry large enough to cover the, "Oops! I gave you botulism" regrets.

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted
Importing mangosteens is illegal because they can harbor tropical parasites and other agricultural pests. The bananas imported into the USA are sprayed with pesticides.

Definitely, they're sprayed with pesticides, but that hasn't prevented large spiders from hitching rides with the bananas.

I'm not sure mangosteens are free of pesticides in Malaysia nowadays, though their thick skin offers good protection against insects.

Michael aka "Pan"

 

SethG

SethG

Posted
Posted

Here's a link to the R.W. Apple article about mangosteens from the NY Times a while back. The barrier to importation is the Mediterranean Fruit Fly.

Apple's article spends a lot of time on the potential for the fruit to be imported after irradiation, but I suspect that what you bought, west, were frozen imported mangosteens that were thawed before being sold. Much as we New Yorkers see frozen/thawed durians in our local markets. They aren't advertised as being frozen, but that's what they do. It does the fruit no favors.

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

but we like hot butter on our breakfast toast!"

cherimoya

cherimoya

Posted
Posted

Luckily, there are no restrictions on importing mangosteens into Canada. There are always lots of mangosteens available for sale in Chinatown in Toronto. I once brought mangosteens into LAX (didn't know they were not allowed). It was a BIG bag of mangosteens. The customs officer let me sit and eat the fruit before passing through the customs area. :biggrin:

ladyyoung98

ladyyoung98

Posted
Posted
Luckily, there are no restrictions on importing mangosteens into Canada.  There are always lots of mangosteens available for sale in Chinatown in Toronto.  I once brought mangosteens into LAX (didn't know they were not allowed).  It was a BIG bag of mangosteens.  The customs officer let me sit and eat the fruit before passing through the customs area.  :biggrin:

must have been a nice bellyache u got from it..did u offer any to the guy?... :laugh:

a recipe is merely a suggestion

cherimoya

cherimoya

Posted
Posted
Luckily, there are no restrictions on importing mangosteens into Canada.  There are always lots of mangosteens available for sale in Chinatown in Toronto.  I once brought mangosteens into LAX (didn't know they were not allowed).  It was a BIG bag of mangosteens.  The customs officer let me sit and eat the fruit before passing through the customs area.  :biggrin:

must have been a nice bellyache u got from it..did u offer any to the guy?... :laugh:

No. Luckily I had a friend and a huge appetite on hand

 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...