Buying a little over a kilo of fresh mangosteens in the United States can set you back nearly $80. This delicate fruit needs specific environmental conditions to grow. Picking the mangosteens at the perfect moment is crucial to ensure optimal flavor and texture, adding to the complexity of harvesting. The US banned imports of mangosteens from its largest producers — countries like Thailand and Indonesia. Even though the commercial supply of mangosteen has spiked since then, it still doesn't meet today's demand. We went to Kerala, India, to see how mangosteen is grown and discover what makes it so expensive. 00:00 - Intro 01:14 - Mangosteen's Rising Popularity 03:27 - Cutting Down Other Fruits To Grow More 04:10 - Even The Sapling Are Valuable 04:47 - Growing Conditions 05:09 - Picking The Perfect Mangosteen 07:17 - Selling Mangosteen 08:28 - Unreliable Yield 09:06 - Exporting To The US 10:34 - Taking A Chance On Mangosteen 12:11 - Credits MORE SO EXPENSIVE VIDEOS: Why Climbing Mount Everest Is So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider Marathon https://youtu.be/Yxigd9dlsd8 Why Musicians Pay Over $15K For John Coltrane’s Favorite Saxophone | So Expensive | Business Insider https://youtu.be/zJg7j5ge9EM Why Lego Is So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d8sNML3WT8 ------------------------------------------------------ #mangosteen #fruit #businessinsider Business Insider tells you all you need to know about business, finance, tech, retail, and more. Visit our homepage for the top stories of the day: https://www.businessinsider.com Business Insider on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/businessinsider Business Insider on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insiderbusiness Business Insider on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/businessinsider Business Insider on Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/discover/Business_Insider/5319643143 Business Insider on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessinsider Why Mangosteen, The Viral TikTok Fruit, Is So Expensive | So Expensive | Business Insider