Mangosteen Market Price Per Jin, Plus When to Eat It, How to Select It, and Whether the Seed Is Edible
Mangosteen, also known as shanzhu, shanzhuzi, or daonianzi, is a fruit commonly found in the tropical regions of Asia and Africa, and it is now also cultivated in Yunnan, Fujian, Guangdong and other places. So how much does mangosteen cost per jin on the market? When is the best time to eat it? How should you select it? Can the seed inside be eaten?
Latest market prices:
The market price of mangosteen varies depending on the variety and color, generally around 10 to 20 yuan per jin. Cheaper Thai-imported mangosteen costs around 20 yuan per jin, premium Thai-imported mangosteen costs about 170 yuan per jin, air-freighted imported mangosteen costs about 260 yuan per jin, Thai-imported frozen mangosteen segments cost about 100 yuan per jin, and some authentic Thai-imported mangosteen costs about 400 yuan per jin.
When to eat:
The fruit ripens from May to October, with higher yields from August to October.
Traditional Chinese medicine considers mangosteen a neutral fruit, slightly cooling, with the effects of reducing dryness and clearing heat. Although it is tasty, it should not be eaten in large amounts. Fruit should be eaten 1 hour before a meal or 1 hour after a meal; it is high in sugar, so it is best not to eat it at night.
How to select:
1. Look at the color of the shell and the leaf-like sepals
When selecting mangosteen, be sure to pay attention to the color of the leaf-like sepals below the fruit stem. The greener the sepals, the fresher the mangosteen; if the color turns brown or black, it means the mangosteen has been stored too long and is not fresh. Also, when the shell changes from green to red, it means it is ripe and ready to eat. The order is bright red, dark purple, dark coffee brown; the lighter the color, the fresher, but bright red mangosteen is not sweet enough, while dark coffee-brown mangosteen has flesh that is too soft. Therefore, it is recommended to choose dark purple mangosteen, which is sweet enough and has firm flesh.
2. Test the elasticity
Press gently with your thumb; the shell should be elastic. If the pressed spot springs back immediately, it means it is fresh. If the shell is so hard that it cannot be pressed down, it is not suitable to buy.
3. Count the sepals at the bottom
Usually the mangosteen has 4 to 8 sepals at the bottom, and the number of sepals is the same as the number of flesh segments. The more sepals, the more flesh segments; the more flesh segments, the smaller the seed, and some seeds can even be eaten directly. Therefore, be decisive in choosing mangosteen with more sepals.
Can the seed be eaten?
The seed inside the mangosteen cannot be eaten. Mangosteen is usually broken open by pressing, and when peeling the shell you must be very careful and especially attentive; be careful not to let the purple or red juice from the shell stain the flesh segments, because it will affect the taste, and if it gets on clothes it is extremely hard to wash out. After peeling, only the white flesh inside the mangosteen can be eaten; nothing else can be eaten.