A Hairy Fruit: Rambutan

The words “Hairy Fruit” may not sound very appetizing, but I assure you this Hairy Fruit is quite delicious! The Hairy Fruit I’m talking about is Rambutan.

Rambutans look like they are lychees with a head full of hair.  Literally, this fruit’s name even means hair! “Rambut” in Indonesian and Malay, where this fruit is native to, actually means “hair”.

These cool looking fruits not only look like fun times, but they also taste like fun times.  They taste very similar to lychee and that makes total sense as it is scientifically closely related to lychees.  If you haven’t tried either, I would suggest you do so soon!

Rambutan Health Benefits

Why should you eat this hairy fruit? Besides the fact that they’re sweet and yummy, they’re also quite nutritious, containing many vitamins and minerals for your body.

Rambutans are rich in vitamin C – eating just 5 to 6 of these babies, and you will hit 50% of your daily vitamin C requirements.

They’re also pretty high in copper which is good for your heart, brain and bones! Eating about 4 rambutans, and you will hit about 20% of your daily copper requirements!

Besides vitamin C and Copper, Rambutans also got fiber, manganese, magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium and more.

So as mentioned – they’re a yummy and healthy fruit.

How do you eat Rambutans?

Well, very easy… sort of.  First and foremost, don’t just bite in to it.  

Take a knife and cut through the hairy skin layer of the Rambutan. You can cut through a circular pattern all the way around the fruit, but normally I just go through half way, and then pop off the top so that it looks like this:

Then, you can take out the “meat” of the Rambutan and eat it.  However, be careful! There is a single large seed in the middle of the fruit, so be sure not to swallow it!

Where can I find Rambutans?

Well, there are two answers:  

Look for it in your nearest Asian super market!!  It’s not a guarantee that they will all sell it, but you are most likely to find them in Chinese super markets or if there is one near you an Indonesian or Malaysian super market.

Or if all else fails, you can try Amazon! Crazy that they have almost everything now…

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