clearly i'm on a mission to review various exotic fruits that i'm finding around town...that will soon end as summer turns to fall.
i was looking for some fresh lychees and another exotic fruit, the pitaya (or 'dragon fruit') when i stumbled across the rambutan. it seems that exotic fruits are for members of a special natives-only club, since no one really wants to take time to tell you how to eat them, what to expect, things along those lines. i guess they figure if you're curious enough to ask, just buy one and try it for yourself.
that was pretty much the feeling i got when i asked for a little more information about the rambutan. the man behind the fruit stand said "rambutan. rambutan." when i asked how you eat it he said "peel off the skin." that was that.
so i brought 2 of them home. one for me and one for jedd, since he wants to try these experimental sessions as well. we'll see about that, since he's was already grossed out by the picture of the rambutan on wikipedia.
the fruit is thought to be native to the Malay Archipelago; the Malay word "rambut" means "hairs". not knowing what awaited inside the outer, hairy shell, i decided to cut gently with a paring knife around the perimeter and pop it open that way.
what rested inside looked like a translucent but beautiful egg. it fit perfectly within the limits of the space, no more and no less, with a sheen that looked as though it was quite well protected. no mars, no bruising. a perfect fleshy orb.
cutting deeper into the fruit revealed the inner pit. i proceeded to cut around once more to split it in half and get a sense for the texture. it looked like a piece of gummy candy, and has almost the same texture in your mouth, but with a light and fruity taste that was actually quite delicious.
the rambutan happens to be related to the lychee and longan family of fruits. as you can see they share a similar look and feel -- the main difference being their outer casing and their taste -- but you can tell they are distant cousins.
the man behind the counter was right, just peel off the skin.
Looks gross and yummy at the same time. Weird, huh? It definitely reminds me of lychee. I think I've only seen rambutan in cans at Asian markets. I would be curious to try it fresh. I also really want to try fresh mangosteen since fresh lychee are so good.
Posted by: Bri | August 24, 2007 at 06:22 PM
Found your entry on tastespotting-- I had the pleasure of trying my first rambutan when I went overseas this summer.. they're not at their full potential(they get sweeter in the fall season, I am told. Harvesting has only begun), and I remember also being puzzled on how to open it. Native family members laughed at me a little and told me to "just squeeze it and it will rip." and it did just that. try that method next time; hassle free! :)
Posted by: Stephanie | August 24, 2007 at 09:24 PM
Thanks for the tip! I'll try that next.
Posted by: Julianna | August 24, 2007 at 09:33 PM
Where did you find Rambutam? I love them! I didn't think you could get them in the US though. I had them when I was in Vietnam. They are delicious. They are related to lychee too.
Posted by: zara | August 24, 2007 at 10:08 PM
omg... i used to eat rambutan alot when iw as still living in the philippines. theyre sooo good!!!
Posted by: ajji | August 25, 2007 at 02:21 AM
they are at one of the shops in chinatown, nyc -- i think it's the one on the corner of bowery and grand..there are several down there, i can't remember which one i got them from...
Posted by: Julianna | August 27, 2007 at 11:32 AM
Hi, I like your description of it as an egg. I always think of its texture as an eye ball.
Posted by: charlotte | August 28, 2007 at 07:03 AM
My new favorite exotic fruit - I've been craving these gems for four months! I might just have to fly back to Hawaii to get some more!
Posted by: Gretchen | August 28, 2007 at 09:55 PM
The only problem with rambutan is, the skin of the seed usually sticks to the flesh. Interesting blog so far I had stumbled. Cheers from Fruity
Posted by: fruitspecies | August 31, 2007 at 03:47 AM
I first had rambutan at a little roadside stall in Indonesia, we just popped them open with our thumbs. Delicious.
It was the same day I first had durian, which was a much less delightful experience.
Posted by: The Morgan | November 20, 2007 at 06:21 AM
Ranbutan is absolutly delicious, but its actually a vietnamese fruit.
Posted by: Kendra | February 26, 2008 at 12:22 PM
and can be bought in any vietnamese shop in china town..=D
Posted by: Kendra | February 26, 2008 at 12:24 PM
and i found it tasted like coconuts and strawberries..lol
Posted by: Kendra | February 26, 2008 at 12:31 PM