Why Is Mangosteen So Expensive Heres What To Know
Mangosteen is a tropical fruit that is native to Southeast Asia and Australia. Mangosteen, mangosteen, mangosteen, mango sweet, and Xiang jiao are some of the other names for it.
Vitamin C, potassium, fiber, calcium, iron, and other minerals are abundant in mangosteen. Diabetes, fever, coughs, colds, and stomach pains are all treated with it as a natural treatment. We’ll talk about what mangosteen tastes like, how to eat it, where to get it, and more in this post!
Are you looking for mangosteen in the store but are surprised by the price? Mangosteens might be rather costly, but there’s a good reason for it.
There are a few reasons for this, and we’ll go through them all today.
Why is mangosteen expensive?
There is a lot of risk of much of the shipment getting spoilt in the transit itself. If refrigerated cargo is used, the cost will go up.
What is the average price for mangosteen?
In the US, a single mangosteen fruit costs $8-$15. You can buy a kg of this fruit for about $2 in Thailand, which is one of the largest mangosteens growing countries. Even if you keep the fruits in the refrigerator, you should use them soon, within a few days.
Even if it is successfully imported, the retailers know the fruit’s life span is not much. Some of the fruits may be spoilt in the shipment and discarded by the retailer.
From harvest to consumption, mangosteen fruit stays good for only a few days. This means this fruit is not a great export-import commodity.
Suppose you are living in a country where it isn’t grown. In that case, you can imagine the difficulty of importing mangosteen through the usual channels of international trade.
The mangosteen fruit can be found in some Asian supermarkets. Still, it must be expensive to cover all the costs to make it available in foreign markets.
Like other fruits, canned and frozen mangosteen can be found, but they do not taste as delicious as fresh mangosteen.
Looking at its high market price, farmers in many countries outside Southeast Asia tried to grow mangosteen, but they haven’t had much success.
Mangosteen is rare and hard to grow
For the mangosteen trees to grow, they require a certain kind of soil and climate to sustain their natural growth. This kind of climate and soil is found only in a few countries in the world, and these countries are Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
It is possibly one of the toughest fruits to grow, as it requires a range of favorable conditions for its flowers to sprout and bear fruit. The tree itself takes 10-20 years to mature and start bearing fruits. Farmers who grow mangosteen trees believe it’s an art to grow this plant as it requires both time and care.
For mangosteen trees to grow properly, their soil should be wet, it should not be soggy.
Rainforests are the places where most mangosteen trees grow. It is because of these peculiarities that mangosteen trees are not grown everywhere in the world. And that’s also an important reason why this fruit is so expensive.
However, agriculture scientists have been working to make mangosteen plantations successful elsewhere in the world. Some examples are the mangosteen plantations in Florida, California, and Hawaii.
Large-scale production isn’t possible outside of Southeast Asia, even in the seemingly climate-appropriate states mentioned above.
When is mangosteen the cheapest?
Mangosteen is the cheapest when in season, and the summer is the peak season for mangosteen. The fruit can be found at other times as well, especially in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, where it is primarily grown.
While mangosteen is an expensive fruit, it can be found cheap during the season in these countries.
Thailand is the biggest producer of mangosteen. But it is also grown in significant quantities in some other Southeast Asian like Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines.
Mangosteen trees grow in a climate marked as hot, wet, and high humidity. The fruit itself matures in summer just before the rainy season begins. In Thailand, the best time to buy mangosteen fruit is from April to July, while in Malaysia, it’s from June to August.
What Is Mangosteen?
The fruit has a dark, purple rind and its shape is perfectly round. The rind peels away easily but can stain your fingers and clothes if you are not careful.
Its seeds are very small and can be eaten along with the fruit, though they may be hard and bitter.
The biggest issue with mangosteen is its short life span which makes its storage and long-term use difficult. But you can find canned and frozen mangosteen go for it. The canned version of the fruit may have added sugar, so be sure to look at the ingredients.
The fruit is available in juice and powder form as well, thanks to the food processing industry. Fresh fruit can be found at Asian supermarkets during the season.
While buying, look for mangosteen with a dark, smooth outer rind. The rind is inedible and can be removed with your fingers, or a serrated knife.
The main fruit is the white flesh inside the rind. It’s juicy and flavorful when ripe. You can eat the fruit raw, or add it to your salad or smoothie.
Mangosteen trade
The purple mangosteen (or simply mangosteen) is not easily found in the US market even after the import restrictions were lifted more than 10 years ago.
While the extremely fragile nature of the fruit makes it difficult to import in large quantities and store it.
In America, it is considered a superfruit and superfood. In the mangosteen growing countries, the fruit is harvested and brought to the market between April and September.
The exact time differs from country to country, depending on the climate. The export of mangosteen to other countries typically takes place during these months, and the chances of getting this fruit cheap are maximum during mid-harvest time of June and July.
Mangosteen was not allowed for import in the US until 2007, because through the fruit exotic insects would find their way into the country. But it seems the ban has increased the appeal of the fruit among the American people.
As a result, mangosteens brought into America are irradiated to kill off any insect eggs.
Mangosteen is a tropical fruit that is native to Southeast Asia and Australia. Mangosteen, mangosteeni, mangosteeno, mangosweet, and Xiang jiao are some of the other names for it.
Vitamin C, potassium, fibre, calcium, iron, and other minerals are abundant in mangosteen. Diabetes, fever, coughs, colds, and stomach pains are all treated with it as a natural treatment. We’ll talk about what mangosteen tastes like, how to eat it, where to get it, and more in this post!
Are you looking for mangosteen in the store but are surprised by the price? Mangosteens might be rather costly, but there’s a good reason for it.
There are a few reasons for this, and we’ll go through them all today.
What is a mangosteen?
Mangosteen is a tiny white flowering evergreen shrub with big leaves. The round or oval-shaped fruits grow on long stalks from the trunk’s center. They resemble mangoes in appearance, however, they are significantly smaller than ordinary mangoes.
Single mangosteen can have up to ten seeds, which will mature into edible flesh in about three months. The skin turns yellowish-brown and velvety when fully ripe.
Mangosteen is a fruit native to Southeast Asia, primarily Thailand, and is known in Latin as Garcinia Mangostana. As a result, the mangosteen is a tropical fruit that thrives under a lot of wetness and rain. On all the branches of tropical evergreen trees, this little heavy fruit forms with beautiful and fragrant leaves! The Mangifera genus includes the purple, rose mangosteen, as well as many other tropical trees and shrubs such as the cashew and, of course, the mango!
Mango and mangosteen have different flavors and textures, despite the fact that they are distant cousins.
Why is mangosteen expensive?
The main reason why mangosteen is so pricey is because of its rarity. It’s not easy to find fresh mangosteen at your local grocery stores. You may only see dried mangosteen in Asian markets.
However, if you want to buy fresh mangosteen online, then you should know that shipping costs add up quickly. Shipping charges vary depending on the weight of the package, distance between two locations, and whether you choose standard ground delivery or expedited service. One of the main reasons mangosteen is so costly is because its plant is extremely difficult to produce. The mangosteen tree prefers moist soil but not excessively so, and it takes at least 10 years to yield fruit.
There’s a good chance that much of the package may deteriorate during transportation. The cost will increase if chilled freight is employed.
A single mangosteen fruit costs $8-$15 in the United States. In Thailand, one of the world’s major mangosteen producers, a kilogram of this fruit costs around $2. Even if the fruits are kept in the refrigerator, they should be used within a few days. Even if it is successfully imported, shopkeepers are aware that the fruit has a short shelf life. Some of the fruits may have spoiled during shipping and have been rejected by the reseller. Mangosteen fruit only lasts a few days from harvest to eat. This indicates that this fruit is not a high-value export-import item.
Mangosteens are a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia that grows on trees. "Fruit queens" and "fruit kings" are other names for them. Because of its high antioxidant content, the mangosteen fruit is one of the best sources of vitamin C. This fruit is high in fiber, potassium, iron, calcium, and manganese. Isn’t the mangosteen one of the world’s hardest fruits to cultivate?
This is, indeed, the reason for its high price. Mangosteen trees require wet, rainy soil, tall heights, and plenty of sunlight to grow. It takes a long time to develop and yield fruit. It produces slowly and, as gorgeous as it is, requires regular upkeep.
Mangosteen is rare and hard to grow
The mangosteen tree grows slowly and requires lots of water. If there isn’t enough rainfall, the tree won’t bear any fruit. However, even though the mangosteen tree needs plenty of moisture, it doesn’t like too much humidity either.
Too much humidity causes mold growth on the surface of the bark. When the bark becomes infected, the entire tree dies. Mangosteen trees require a certain type of soil and temperature to thrive in their natural environment. Only a few nations in the world have this type of climate and soil, and those countries include Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
It’s one of the most difficult fruits to grow since its blooms need a variety of ideal conditions to sprout and develop fruit. It takes 10-20 years for the tree to develop and begin yielding fruit. Mangosteen tree farmers consider it an art to nurturing this plant since it needs both time and care.
The mangosteen tree can live for more than 100 years. But when it reaches old age, it produces less fruit. A mature tree yields about 1kg per year.
When is mangosteen the cheapest?
When mangosteen is in season, it is the cheapest, and summer is mangosteen’s prime season. The fruit is also available in other seasons, particularly in Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia, where it is cultivated.
While mangosteen is a costly fruit, it is inexpensive in these nations during the season. Thailand is the world’s largest mangosteen grower. However, it is also cultivated in large numbers in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. These countries import mangosteen from Thailand, which makes them cheaper than buying locally grown mangosteens.
Thailand exports over 80% of all mangosteen produced worldwide. Its production capacity exceeds 20 million kg annually. Most of the exported mangosteen comes from Chiang Mai Province. In addition to being expensive, mangosteen is also very seasonal. During the winter months, prices drop significantly due to low demand.
What is the taste of mangosteen?
Mangosteen has a sweet, tart, acidic, and somewhat bitter flavor. Purple and Rose are the two most common kinds.
Mangoes have a wonderful tropical flavor that looks to be a combination of several fruits. Citrus, bananas, peach, and lychee are among the most frequent descriptors. Mangosteens are a sweet and tasty fruit that is hard to get outside of Southeast Asia. The majority of people believe this little yet beautiful fruit to be quite tasty. The mangosteen is frequently referred to as "The Queen of Fruits" because of its reputed biggest devotee, Queen Victoria of England. Don’t be alarmed; the mangosteen has no similarity to the Durian, the king of fruits.
Mangosteens aren’t usually compared to mangosteens when it comes to flavor. Despite this, they are frequently described as being excessively sweet, almost unnaturally so, which explains why it is sometimes used to make a sweet, syrupy syrup. Mangosteens, like limes, lemons, and oranges, are acidic and sour fruits. The mangosteen may even seem like citrus fruits if you drew an open. It contains soft, orange-like chunks of pulp that are made of delectable fruit. Every wedge contains seeds, which can be extremely bitter even if they are edible.
Conclusion
In conclusion, mangosteen is not only delicious but also nutritious. This exotic fruit is rich in vitamin C, fiber, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, manganese, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, folate, pantothenic acid, biotin, and vitamins B6 and E.
I hope this post helped you understand why mangosteen is so expensive and also helped you with all your food curiosities.
