History of Mangosteen

In South East Asia the fruit is known as Fruit of God because of health benefits and delicious taste of fruits.

The fruit has had a long history of use dating back thousands of years.

The place of origin of the mangosteen is unknown but is believed to be in Malay Archipelago.

The fruit is the finest fruit of the Malay Archipelago and often described as one of the world’s best flavored fruit and highly esteemed in Southeast Asia.

It is commonly grown in Malaysia and Indonesia. The wild species of mangosteen are found in Malaysia and India. Mangosteen is derived from G. silvestris Boerl, a species also found growing in both countries.

The mangosteen is also known as the mangostan and ‘maggis’ in Malaysia. The fruit is sweet and juicy and has an excellent flavor profile.

However, there was also a study that indicated that Peninsular Malaysia was probably the area of origin due to original parent having possibly arisen as a hybrid between G. hombroniana and G malleccensis.

There was a suggestion that the tree may have been first domesticated was done in Thailand and Burma at least 2000 years ago and later spread to other tropical area.

In western world it was known as early as 1631.

It is much cultivated in Thailand–where there were 9,700 acres (4,000 ha) in 1965–also in Kampuchea, southern Vietnam and Burma, throughout Malaysia and Singapore.

The mangosteen has been historically considered the queen of tropical fruits, with a delicious, sweetish-tart flavor and mild perfume.

The mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana L.) was named after the French explorer Laurent Garcia (1683-1751) and has been in cultivation for a considerable time in various parts of humid tropics.

The tree was planted in Ceylon about 1800 and in India in 1881.

The plants reached Puerto Rico in 1903 and by 1906 seeds were received in the United States Department of Agriculture also but survival of seedlings was very poor.

Some trees have been located in the Caribbean and recorded as fruiting in Dominica, Jamaica and Trinidad between 1913 and 1919.

The mangosteen is gaining popularity in the international market and recent demands for exported fruit have prompted growers to consider this crop with renewed interest.
Fruit of mangosteen