The mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana), long crowned the "queen of fruits," is a round tropical fruit the size of a small apple, sheathed in a thick, hard, deep red-purple rind that is split open to reveal four to eight snow-white, juicy segments of flesh arranged like a tangerine. The flesh is the prize: soft, melting and intensely fragrant, sweet-tart and floral with notes of peach, citrus, lychee and a faint creamy tang, ranked among the most delicate and admired flavours of any fruit. Eaten almost always fresh out of hand, it is a luxury of Southeast Asian markets, and its slow-growing, fussy tree and short shelf life have kept it rare and prized far from where it grows.