Alex

@Nancy Mangosteen is a completely different fruit! They have a hard, very tannic rind which must first be removed. I'd describe the exterior of the rind as purple, though the inner rind is deep red as the clue says. Inside you'll find a segmented fruit with lobes like a clementine, but the flesh is creamy white and soft with no pith. Some lobes will contain a hard seed, but most are seedless and have a delicate, juicy texture. The flavor is mild and sweet with a bit of tang, and an element of fragrance that's difficult to describe. It's quite a subtle, maybe slightly floral aroma, somewhat like lychee but less cloying. If you can't tell from my loving description, it's my favorite fruit.

@Dan I could not agree more strongly. Not sure of NJ, but I have seen them imported in Chinese markets in at least four different North American cities, if you ever want to hunt. Only available seasonally and prepare to pay a fairly high price. Quality is not the same as Asia, but they still scratch the itch. Without leaving the country, the island of Hawai'i is the best place I've found to get mangosteen domestically. To my knowledge it's the only part of the US that can reliably grow it.