Mangosteens

Busy times in Hanoi. Sorry for the lack of updates. I thought I’d write a short entry to let you know about my new favorite fruit, the mangosteen! They started showing up a couple weeks ago, and I finally got to taste one a few nights ago at a friend’s house. They look like giant blueberries but taste sort of peachy and pineapple-y. To eat one, you score its shell and pry open the rind with your hands. Inside are these tiny white arils, the delicious juicy wedges that you eat. The seeds are large and aren’t really edible, but I’ve noticed that sometimes they’re soft and taste okay. I bought three kilograms at the market for 20 000 dong, though it was about time for the market to close so mine weren’t really of the best quality. Still refreshing though. Apparently these fruits made their way to the US in 2007 after some trade ban was lifted with Thailand and sold for about $45/pound at specialty produce stores in NYC. Do they still cost that much in the States?