Fresh Mangosteen?

[SerendipitouslyNG]

So I saw the article in the NY Times about how the ban was lifted and fresh mangosteens are now being imported to the US. Has anyone seen them being sold anywhere? My whole foods didn't have a clue what I was talking about. It sounded delicious and I love trying new fruits!

[adobokid]

Any positive sightings in Boston lately. I've had no luck at all.

[StriperGuy]

They were all over NYC chinatown this weekend for $9.99 a pound. Every one I had was good to excellent.

[StriperGuy]

Was at Super88 today they had the sign up, but were sold out.

[bear]

Probably old news by now, but the Allston Super 88 had fresh mangosteen today for $9.99/lb.

[joebloe]

I ate 20lbs. just this week in Atlanta where they had it for $5.99/lb at the Atlanta Farmers Market. Make sure you know how to pick it because it is extremely expensive. The smaller the better, the softer the better, the darker the sweeter; the ideal mangosteen is a small, soft, dark one the size of a golf ball.

[kobuta]

Not old news to me! Thanks for the heads up. Just destroyed one of my two batches I bought today.

[joebloe]

AC Farm on Dorchester Ave. in Fields Corner has it for $7.99/lb.

[y2000k]

Positive sighting today at Russo's. Selling at $14.98/lb.

[joebloe]

I have a fresh mangosteen shipment from Thailand arriving in Boston this Thursday for my personal consumption. Wholesale it's going for $5/lb plus shipping.

[adobokid]

Can you share your source with us?

[joebloe]

The fresh mangosteen is from a vegetable distributor in the San Francisco Bay Area. My friend buy the 15 lbs box and then ship it to me. The wholesale price to Boston asian groceries is $10/lb, who then mark it up to whatever people are willing to pay. I was told by the owner of Truong Thinh Market on Dorchester Ave that fresh mangosteen don't sell well yet is too expensive to stock so they stop selling it.

Anyhow, I have 15 lbs.arriving and I'll make sure they're as fresh and as sweet and as tasty and as high quality as the ones I had in Chinatown Montreal/Toronto. If it's good then I can get more to spread around Boston to anyone that wants them. The only problem is it might be too expensive for anyone's taste.

[joebloe]

I just finished my 15 lbs of fresh mangosteen. There were about 60 of them of which a quarter were rotten inside. The rest were split between very good to decent. Overall every fruit was sweet but every fruit is definitely lacking that special magosteen aroma when you sink your teeth into the pulp. The mangosteen in Toronto and Montreal Chinatown is absolutely fresh inside a cooler fresh off the plane so there is that special aroma that is lacking in the irradiated US mangosteen. It cost me $100 buck total for 15 lbs which is extraordinarily cheap so I am content for now.

[pastrytroll]

Two days ago, importfood.com - a good source for Thai groceries, recipes, videos of street vendors was offering 2 lbs of mangosteen for about $20/lb. including shipping! I don't see it on the website now. I'll wait for the Super 88, thanks!

[PersnicketyChicky]

I saw fresh mangosteen at the Super 88 in Malden several weeks ago, along with many other fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and fish one doesn't find at Super Stop and Shops in this area. Once you try mangosteen, who knows what could be next...durian?

[StriperGuy]

Don't hold your breath for fresh Durian. Don't even know of anyone attempting that.

[adobokid]

Actually, the frozen whole durian that abound in Chinese markets are very good. Because the consistency of durian is so creamy anyway, it doesn't suffer too badly from the freezing/thawing process. I usually thaw them just a bit, not completely, and hack it open when the core is still kinda frozen. You can then remove the sections and store them in an airtight container in the fridge to thaw the rest of the way.

Seriously good eats. Plus, they don't smell as bad when frozen.

[ScubaSteve]

huh? am i missing something here?
i've seen plenty of fresh Durian in CTown. not frozen, unless what i'm seeing is previously frozen.

[kobuta]

No, I've seen fresh durian as well. You can't miss the fruit, since it's a big spikey mass! The frozen kind usually comes shelled, and is found in the frozen section of the market.

[adobokid]

Whole frozen ones are stored in the freezer bins at Cmart and Super88. All I've been able to find are frozen and previously frozen. Never tried the shelled ones before but would be much easier because these beasts are difficult to open.

[lisa13]

They carry it at the super 88 in Malden, too. I was very concerned the first few times I went to their original location as there was always an odor of bad meat in the air. Then I noticed the pile of durian (it used to be right near the door, no less) and that foul smell wafting around made more sense. They keep them in the freezer bins at the new place which is a huge improvement. I really am curious to try it, but still very afraid!

[Taralli]

Durian shakes last time we were at Mittapheap - don't know if it was fresh or frozen though.

[ScubaSteve]

how were they?
i always am tempted to try one at Xinh Xinh but haven't been able to get up the courage.
would a shake be the best way to try durian for the first time?

[Taralli]

To me, it tasted like emulsified raw onions. I personally didn't find it revolting, but some at our CH table might say otherwise.

[gini]

I've had the shake at Floating Rock in Revere. Not my personal taste preference, but other hounds tell me they do it right.

[sultanp]

I beleive that it is still not legal to import fresh mangosteen fruit - hence all the juices.

[Luther]

It is legal.

[StriperGuy]

You are correct senor Luther, they just made it legal to sell them in the U.S.

It is a producer in Puerto Rico who is growing them:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/09/din...

[StriperGuy]

I am a total maniac for sourcing exotic tropical fruit and have not seen any mangosteen in the Boston area other than many years ago out of the back of a truck in Chinatown and I am pretty sure those were illegal.

Places one is most likely to find the good stuff:

- Indian grocery stores on Moody in Waltham (by far the most exotic produce I have found)
- Arax in watertown
- Various Super88s and grocery stores in chinatown
- Kam Man Market, Quincy
- Russos, Watertown

[y2000k]

Happened to go to both Russo's and Super 88 (Allston) yesterday - did not see mangosteen in either store.

[Bob Dobalina]

A recent thread on the same subject did not have any definitive answers.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/507607

[Prav]

Maybe Super 88 might be the place to start looking? That's the only thing I can think of!