If tropical fruits were Pokemon, I'd be thrilled because I'm one step closer to catching them all.

I FINALLY laid hands upon some Rambutans tonight when exploring a new Asian market (I wasn't going to pay $3/1 fruit at Whole Foods).

I heard that the ones that are very red will leave a very hard to clean stain on your skin/clothes. I was shocked that when I cut it in half, it looked EXACTLY LIKE AN EYE. It's similar to longans or litchis... but more dense and less sloppy.

Is the nut inside edible? Does anyone know if they are loaded with anything specifically nutritionally awesome?

They're so much fun. My friend's cat wanted to play with them. =)

[www.fluffbuff.com]

Sometimes I REALLY wish these crazy fruits grew in North America (but then delicious peaches and strawberries just as quickly make me think otherwise). Sigh. <3

Phantom,

I never had the problem of my hands turning red you may be thinking of litchis they are close relatives.
As for eating the seed once in a while I will take a bite and get part of the seed mixed in and spit it out not very tasty.
Here is what a crop fact sheet says about the seed and other parts.

The seeds are edible when roasted, they are bitter and said to be narcotic. A tallow similar to cacao butter, with a high level of arachidic acid, can be rendered from the seeds. The rambutan tallow is edible and can be used to make soap and candles. The reddish colored rambutan wood is fairly hard and heavy, and reputed to be resistant to insects but not to fungi, however, trees are usually too small to be valued as timber.

I just eat the fruit it, tommorrow I am going to buy a few kilos of rambutan and maybe 6 or 7 kilos of durian on a day I eat durian my first meal is always rambutan or othe juicy fruits.

Love Peace and Happiness,

Cherimoya,

rambutans are awesome! funny little hairy things!

LOL @ the eye comment! Years ago I was eating a lychee and I had to wonder why in horror films they spent so much money on eyeball FX when they could just use a peeled lychee, haha! :-)

Wow. I never have heard of them. I will keep my eye out (pun intended LOL) for them.

ok.. that's almost creepy- eyelashes and all!

did you enjoy them? what do they taste like?

They're yummy--a smoother and less messy relative of the litchi. =)

When my boyfriend came over, I made him close his eyes and put out his hands so I could pass him a rambutan. Without even looking, he just yelled, "It's one of your weird fruits again, isn't it?!?!" >8)

phantom:


<<When my boyfriend came over, I made him close his eyes and put out his hands so I could pass him a rambutan. Without even looking, he just yelled, "It's one of your weird fruits again, isn't it?!?!" >8)>>

PFFFFFTTTTTT!!!!

well, did he eat it or what??

i never seen or heard about or ate a rambutan

those things look like they could crawl up a tree

but they look like they are fragrant too

I confess to total ignorance. I thought this would be about an Islamic holiday or something.

I ate them in Indonesia and they were one of the most beautiful things I have ever tasted - the monkeys could peel them in seconds.

I was so excited when I found some in England but they tasted of nothing. I suppose they were harvested unripe and they just didn't taste anything like the ones in Indonesia. so sad

I wouldn't eat the seed But, the flesh is extremely delish, isn't it?! I grew up eating it regularly.

Sarah
[goingbananasblog.com]

They are so addicting, aren't they??

I bought some the other day, and the poor cashier must have never seen them before. She picked up the bag, and as soon as she saw (and felt) what was in it, she dropped it like a hot potato and jumped about two feet off the ground. Poor thing, all the blood drained out of her face, and I was trying so hard not to laugh too much, while reassuring her it was only a type of fruit!

Now that my kids have tried them, they can't stop asking for more, haha!!

Sapphire

I took a whole pack to work tonight!! It was fabulous!!

Only one person was too scared to try one. =D