I always grew up eating fruits in my Vietnamese household: longan, lychee, durian, jackfruit, dragon fruit, mangosteen, guava and rambutan. I was raised in the suburbs of Pennsylvania in the little town Hatfield where we would have to travel to Asian supermarkets in Cheltenham, PA weekly to get our dose of fruit. These fruits were as common as apples, oranges and bananas to me, but there were weeks where these more “exotic” fruits were not available. To me they were and still are delicacies.

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) in the family Sapinadaceae (soapberries) is one of my favorite fruits! Rambutan refers to the tree of which the fruit grows on and also the fruit that is produced from the tree. The word “rambutan” is derived from the Malay-Indonesian word “rambut” meaning hair, referring to the many hair-like protrusions from the fruit. In Vietnam, the fruit is called chôm chôm meaning messy hair. Rambutan is native to the Malay-Indonesian region and other regions of Southeast Asia where they thrive in their harvest due to the humid habitat optimal for their growth. In the 13th and 15th centuries, Arab traders introduced rambutan into Zanzibar and Pemba of East Africa. In the 19th century, the Dutch, who were colonizers of Southeast Asia at the time, introduced rambutan from Southeast Asia to South America then distribution to tropical Americas occurred.

Rambutan is a round to oval-seeded berry that is 3-6 cm long and 3-4 cm broad. They are typically grown in clusters of 10-20 fruits. They have an interesting appearance where they have been compared to the looks of a sea urchin because they have a leathery red skin and hair like extensions. Within the skin, there is contained the edible fruit that is white and has a similar texture to grapes. Within the white fruit, there is a seed that typically is not eaten, but has health benefits.

Since the skin is not edible, to eat rambutan, you would first remove the skin by lightly pinching the fruit until the peel breaks in the middle. An alternative would be to use a knife to cut open the fruit. Then discard the peel and then eat around the seed in the middle of the white fruit.

Rambutan is closely related to other tropical fruits such as lychee and longan because their fruits are all white. The differentiating factor is the skins of each of the fruits. Lychee has more is similar in that it is red, but there are not hair like extensions while longan has a thinner brown-colored skin.

The edible fruit has many benefits. It has a large amount of vitamin C, important for keeping the immune system healthy by flushing out toxins. Rambutan is also a good source of copper that keeps blood vessels, immune system, bones and red blood cells at peak conditions. Another health benefit is a good source of iron by contributing to maintenance and production of red blood cells. There is high source of fiber and has antiseptic qualities aiding to fight off infection.

In addition to the edible rambutan fruit, there are many other uses of this plant. The leaves can be used for hair health by mashing the them into a liquid and applying to your hair. When you boil the leaves and eat them, they can treat fevers and relieve headaches and migraines. The seeds are used for skincare by mashing seeds into a powder form to even out the skin’s complexion. Also in a powder form and mixed with drinks, the seed can help with diabetes by maintaining blood sugar.

The edible fruit has many benefits. It has a large amount of vitamin C, important for keeping the immune system healthy by flushing out toxins. Rambutan is also a good source of copper that keeps blood vessels, immune system, bones and red blood cells at peak conditions. Another health benefit is a good source of iron by contributing to maintenance and production of red blood cells. There is high source of fiber and has antiseptic qualities aiding to fight off infection.

 

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambutan

https://foodfacts.mercola.com/rambutan.html

https://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/rambutan-what-you-need-know

https://caloriebee.com/nutrition/Rambutan-Fruit

http://eol.org/pages/595297/details