The mangosteen, scientifically named Garcinia mangostana, is an evergreen tree which thrives in tropical climates. It has been nicknamed the Queen of Fruits, is native to Southeast Asia, and grows most prolifically in countries like Malaysia, Thailand, Burma, Vietnam, Singapore, India, and the Philippines.

The mangosteen is extremely temperamental, requiring high leverls of atmospheric humidity, ample rainfall, and moderate temperatures. Previous attempts to cultivate the tree in less than ideal circumstances have been largely unsuccessful, making the mangosteens desirability that much greater. A popular story told of Queen Victoria offering a reward to anyone who could deliver edible mangosteen to her. No one was able to fulfill her request.

The mangosteen tree can grow to heights of 20 to 80 feet when mature, bearing tangerine-sized fruit. The fruit's reddish-purple rind is somewhat soft and easy to break apart. The edible portion of the fruit is bright white and segmented like an orange, and may contain zero to 5 seeds. Highly coveted for its exquisite taste, the mangosteen is very sweet and tangy, with hints of strawberry, peach, and vanilla.

It is illegal to import fresh mangosteen fruit into the U.S. due to the threat of hitchhiking Asian fruit flies. Because of this, mangosteen imported into the country must be canned and/or processed. Unfortunately, it is believed that canned mangosteen is not as flavorful as the fresh fruit.

In the U.S., mangosteen juice and extract powder are steadily gaining popularity as powerful nutritional supplements due to the mangosteen's high antioxidant content. The mangosteen has been shown to have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, Anti-histamine and anti-tumor properties, and contains essential vitamins and minerals such as antioxidant polyphenols, calcium, iron, phosphorous, polysaccharides, potassium, stilbenes, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and vitamin C.