A cluster of yellowish rambutan

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Rambutan

Unpeeled and peeled rambutan

Rambutan fruits in bunches

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN 2.3)[1]

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae

(unranked): Angiosperms

(unranked): Eudicots

(unranked): Rosids

Order: Sapindales

Family: Sapindaceae

Genus: Nephelium

Species: N. lappaceum

Binomial name

Nephelium lappaceum

L.[2]

A cluster of yellowish rambutan.

The rambutan (/ræmˈbuːtən/; taxonomic name: Nephelium lappaceum) is a medium-sized tropical tree in the family Sapindaceae. The fruit produced by the tree is also known as rambutan.

According to popular belief and the origin of its name, rambutan is native to Indonesia and Malaysia. The earliest record of rambutan trees show that they were cultivated by the Malayan jungle tribes around their temporary settlements, a practice followed to date.[3] Rambutan trees grow naturally in Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, although its precise natural distribution is unknown.[4] It is closely related to several other edible tropical fruits including the lychee, longan, and mamoncillo.[4] It is native to the Indonesian Archipelago,[5] from where it spread westwards to Thailand, Burma, Sri Lanka and India; northwards to Vietnam, and the Philippines.[4]

A species regularly sold in Costa Rican markets may be known as "wild" rambutan. Yellow in color, it is smaller than the usual red variety. The flesh exposed when the outer skin is peeled off is sweet and sour, slightly grape-like and gummy to the taste. In Panama and Costa Rican Spanish, it is known as mamón chino ("Chinese Sucker") due to its Asian origin and the likeness of the edible part with Melicoccus bijugatus. The fruit has been successfully transplanted by grafting in Puerto Rico.[4]

Rambutans are a non-climacteric fruit—that is, they ripen only on the tree.[4]

Contents [hide]

1 Etymology

2 Description

3 Production

4 Quality

5 Cultivation

6 Cultivars

7 Pollination

8 Gallery

9 See also

10 References

Etymology[edit]The name rambutan is derived from the Malay word rambutan, meaning "hairy"[4] rambut the word for "hair" in both languages, a reference to the numerous hairy protuberances of the fruit, together with the noun-building suffix -an.[3] In Vietnam, it is called chôm chôm (meaning "messy hair") due to the spines covering the fruit's skin.[6]

Description[edit]

Ripe rambutan in MalaysiaIt is an evergreen tree growing to a height of 12–20 m.[4] The leaves are alternate, 10–30 cm long, pinnate, with 3–11 leaflets, each leaflet 5–15 cm wide and 3–10 cm broad, with an entire margin. The flowers are small, 2.5–5 mm, apetalous, discoidal, and borne in erect terminal panicles 15–30 cm wide.[4]

Rambutan trees are either male (producing only staminate flowers and, hence, produce no fruit), female (producing flowers that are only functionally female), or hermaphroditic (producing flowers that are female with a small percentage of male flowers).

The fruit is a round to oval single seeded berry, 3–6 cm (rarely to 8 cm) tall and 3–4 cm broad, borne in a loose pendant cluster of 10–20 together. The leathery skin is reddish (rarely orange or yellow), and covered with fleshy pliable spines, hence the name rambutan, derived from the Malay word rambut, which means hairs. The fruit flesh, which is actually the aril, is translucent, whitish or very pale pink, with a sweet, mildly acidic flavor very reminiscent of grapes.[4]

The single seed is glossy brown, 1–1.3 cm, with a white basal scar.[4] Soft and crunchy, the seeds may be cooked and eaten. Some folklore regards the seeds as poisonous, but tests of seed extracts reveal no toxicity to mice, even in doses up to 2500 mg/kg. The extract does show some analgesic activity, however.[7] The peeled fruits can be cooked and eaten, first the grape-like aril, then the nutty seed, with no waste.

Production[edit]It is a popular garden fruit tree and propagated commercially in small orchards. It is one of the best known fruits of Southeast Asia and is also widely cultivated elsewhere in the tropics including Africa, the Caribbean islands, Costa Rica,Honduras, Panama, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka; it is also produced in Ecuador where it is known as "achotillo" and on the island of Puerto Rico.[4] Thailand is the largest producer from Surat Thani Province Thailand. Rambutan production is increasing in Australia and, in 1997, was one of the top three tropical fruits produced in Hawaii.

The fruit are usually sold fresh, used in making jams and jellies, or canned. Evergreen rambutan trees with their abundant coloured fruit make beautiful landscape specimens.

In India, Rambutan is imported from Thailand[8] as well as grown in Pathanamthitta district of the southern state of Kerala.[9]

Quality[edit]The best quality rambutan is generally that which is harvested still attached to the branch. It is less susceptible to rot, damage, and pests, and remains fresh for a much longer time than rambutan that has been picked from the branch.

Another indicator of quality is the ease of detachment of the flesh from the seed. An easily detachable flesh normally will have bits of the woody seed coating. Thus, it is common Malay folklore to not eat too much rambutan when one has a cough.

Cultivation[edit]Rambutan, canned, syrup pack

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy 343 kJ (82 kcal)

Carbohydrates 20.87 g

- Dietary fiber 0.9 g

Fat 0.21 g

Protein 0.65 g

Thiamine (vit. B1) 0.013 mg (1%)

Riboflavin (vit. B2) 0.022 mg (2%)

Niacin (vit. B3) 1.352 mg (9%)

Vitamin B6 0.02 mg (2%)

Folate (vit. B9) 8 μg (2%)

Vitamin C 4.9 mg (6%)

Calcium 22 mg (2%)

Iron 0.35 mg (3%)

Magnesium 7 mg (2%)

Manganese 0.343 mg (16%)

Phosphorus 9 mg (1%)

Potassium 42 mg (1%)

Sodium 11 mg (1%)

Zinc 0.08 mg (1%)

Link to USDA Database entry

Percentages are roughly approximated

using US recommendations for adults.

Source: USDA Nutrient Database

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