Rambutan Fruit: How to Cut and Eat Rambutans

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) is a fruit known for its distinctive reddish appearance and white flesh, which in ripe rambutans tastes like a balance between sourness and sweetness. The fruit’s name derives from the Malay word “rambut” (meaning “hair”), denoting the long, hairlike spinterns (or soft spines) on their rinds. These green tendrils are similar to those you might see on dragon fruit.

This tropical fruit is native to Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Rambutan seeds eventually spread from their Asian homelands to other tropical climates, and growers in Central America and Hawaii now also harvest these unique fruits. Rambutans sprout from evergreen trees, with a growing season of usually just two months for the fruits. Each fruit is about the size of a large kiwi fruit or a small apple.

Rambutans are members of the Sapindaceae (or soapberry) family, which also includes lychee fruit and longan fruit. Like mangoes or jackfruits, rambutans possess just one large seed. The nutritional profile of rambutans includes calcium, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, and vitamin C.

Rambutans can appear distinct if not unusual, but they are just as easy to eat as any other fruit. Follow these three simple steps to consume a rambutan.

1. 1. Cut the skin. Make a small incision in the “hairy” outside flesh of the fruit. Lightly squeeze the exterior to pop out the edible inner portion. It will appear similar to a large, white grape.
2. 2. Discard the seed. Make another small cut into the edible flesh of the fruit so that you can rid yourself of its large inner seed. If this raw seed pops out easily, you’re dealing with a freestone version of this plant; if it seems difficult to extract, then the rambutan is a clingstone. Beyond these two classifications, there are hundreds of different cultivar names and many different types of these plants.
3. 3. Enjoy your rambutan. You can now enjoy the edible portion of the rambutan. Its unique appearance doesn’t detract from the fact it tastes like any conventionally sweet fruit with a touch of tartness.

You can eat rambutan fruit in a host of different recipes and scenarios. Here are just five ways to use rambutan:

1. 1. Fruit salad: Don’t let the spiny-looking exteriors of these fruits discourage you from including them in a fruit salad. Once you’ve removed a rambutan’s skin and seed, you’ll be left with what looks like a peeled grape with a unique taste. Slice the flesh and add it to your fruit salad.
2. 2. Ice cream: You can use rambutans to make your own ice cream or sorbet. If you’d rather not make it at home, you might be able to find a premade version at a specialty supermarket.
3. 3. Jellies: You can make jelly using rambutan just like you would many other types of fruits and berries. Mash up their flesh and spread them across toast, bagels, and other foods.
4. 4. Marinades: Break down the juices of your rambutan fruits into a delicious marinade that you can use with proteins or other main courses for a slightly fruity flavor profile.
5. 5. Smoothies: After you’ve removed their skin and discarded their central seed, you can blend these fruits with any other ingredients you wish to make a smoothie.

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