Rambutan fruit - how to eat it, beneficial properties, cultivation. Rambutan - the beneficial properties of an exotic fruit, as well as its harm Contraindications and harm

Tropical fruits are becoming popular not only in the countries where they grow, but also in Russian latitudes. One of the most beloved fruits by tourists visiting Southeast Asian countries is rambutan, a nut-like fruit with long soft spines. Due to the beneficial properties of the fruit and its unusual sweet taste, it can be consumed both raw and as an addition to various dishes.

What is rambutan

It is a tropical, jelly-like, fleshy fruit, the fruit of an evergreen tree native to Southeast Asia and countries with similar climates. The largest plantations are in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. The fruit is very popular in Africa, Australia and Central America. The fruits have a hairy shell, similar to the skin of a chestnut, and are red, orange or yellow. The peel of the fruit is inedible and must be removed before consumption.

Rambutan has an edible seed inside that tastes like an acorn. The exotic fruit resembles a nut in size and grows on branches in clusters of 30 fruits. Under the shaggy shell lies white, almost transparent flesh with a very pleasant smell and sweet taste. Because of its appearance, the fruit is often called “hairy”. When buying a shaggy fruit, you need to pay close attention to its color: the peel should be bright red with green tips of the spines.

History of appearance

The history of the fruit is shrouded in all sorts of legends. They actively started talking about it in the middle of the 18th century, during the time of the Thai King Rama II. A wonderful Thai legend tells about Prince Sang Thong, who hid his face behind a mask made of a shaggy fruit, which made him appear very ugly and hairy. And only the young royal daughter saw the pure soul under the terrible mask, fell in love with him and received a faithful, kind and intelligent husband.

How does rambutan grow?

The fruit grows on tall trees and when ripe changes color from bright green to bright red with green hairs. It is possible to grow rambutan at home from a fruit seed. Wrap it in a wet cloth, lock it in a dark place and wait about two weeks. If, after the expiration of the period, sprouts appear on the seed, then you can safely plant the seed and expect a harvest.

Chemical composition

The composition of the fruit is very diverse and healthy. The fruits contain minerals such as magnesium, sodium, manganese, zinc, and potassium in small quantities. Manganese has an excellent effect on bones, reduces cholesterol and blood pressure, and regulates metabolism. Fruit fiber is very beneficial for digestion; the fruit seed contains more than 30% oils and fats with oleic and arachidonic acid. When heated, the oil smells very pleasant, so it is often used to make cosmetic products. Among the chemical elements in the pulp are:

• Carbohydrates;
• Proteins;
• Vitamins C, B1, B2;
• Protein;
• Calcium;
• Phosphorus;
• A nicotinic acid;
• Iron.

Benefits of fruit

Eating it has a beneficial effect on the skin, improves digestion, and helps with diseases of the stomach and intestines. The fruit is useful for arterial hypertension and recovery after childbirth. The fruit works great in preventing cancer, stimulates the immune system, and has a positive effect on enhancing lactation.

A ripe, fresh fruit is bright red or orange in color, without spots, with long greenish hairs. The fruit does not last very long, a maximum of a week in the refrigerator, so it is important not to buy already spoiled fruit in supermarkets or markets. On a ripe fruit, it is easy to see a thin seam along the peel. Overstayed fruit darkens, the seam splits, and the flesh peeks out from the skin.

How to eat rambutan

Cut the skin with a knife or press firmly until it cracks along the seam on one side. Remove the fruit and eat, but do not swallow the seed. Europeans do not eat it, but in Asia they roast it and use it for cooking. The fruit is most beneficial in its raw form, but sometimes jams, preserves, compotes, and sauces are prepared from it. If the pulp does not separate well from the seed, then the fruit is overripe. Be careful: overripe fruit contains alkaloids and tannins near the seeds.

Recipes with rambutan

If you like to experiment in the kitchen, try not just eating an exotic fruit, but cooking something interesting based on it - Asian chefs add it not only to desserts, but also to salads and hot dishes. .

Tropical fruit pie with rambutan sauce

• Time: 2-3 hours.
• Number of servings: 8 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 220 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: Asian.
• Difficulty: medium.

This hearty and tasty pie is perfect for every day and for the holidays. This sweet summer dessert is good to prepare in the countryside or in a country house. Serve the dish cooled, covered with a delicate sauce. You can make your own pie dough or buy ready-made frozen dough at the store. It is better to choose yeast.

Ingredients

• Shelled pecans or walnuts - 300 g;
• Dried figs – 250-300 g;
• Zest of one lemon;
• Cinnamon – 2 teaspoons;
• Dried mango slices – 300 g;
• Pitted dates – 3 pieces;
• Orange juice – 1 glass;
• Peeled rambutan fruits – 1 cup;
• Salt – 1 teaspoon;
• Sugar – 1 tablespoon;
• Coconut oil or butter - 1 tablespoon;
• Lemon juice – 1 tablespoon;
• Mango – 1 fruit;
• Grated ginger – 1 teaspoon.

Cooking method

1. Grind nuts, figs, previously soaked in water, lemon zest.
2. Add cinnamon and salt, mix everything thoroughly.
3. Roll out the dough into a circle with a diameter of twenty centimeters.
4. Bake until done, cool.
5. Grind mango slices, previously soaked in water, dates, butter and lemon juice.
6. Spread the filling in an even layer on the crust and place the mango on top.
7. Leave for a couple of hours until completely cooled.
8. Mix the remaining ingredients in a blender and strain the resulting mixture.
9. Pour the sauce over the finished pie.

Salad with rambutan

• Time: 15 minutes.
• Number of servings: 4-5 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 110 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: snack.
• Cuisine: Asian.
• Difficulty: easy.

This very tender and easy-to-prepare salad will diversify your daily menu. An interesting combination of familiar products with the sweet, almost cloying taste of the fruit gives the salad a piquant touch. The salad takes no more than 15 minutes to prepare, so it will look great not only on the holiday table, but also during a regular family lunch and dinner.

Ingredients

• Crab sticks – 240 g.
• Rice – 100 g.
• Rambutan – 500 g.
• Grated cheese – 200 g.
• Mayonnaise - to taste
• Greens - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Ground black pepper - to taste.

Cooking method

1. Boil rice, drain water.
2. Cut all the ingredients into small cubes and grate the cheese.
3. Season with mayonnaise, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Decorate with greens.

With fried pork

• Time: 30 minutes.
• Number of servings: 5 persons.
• Calorie content of the dish: 150 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: for lunch, dinner.
• Cuisine: Asian.
• Difficulty: easy.

A tender dish of fried pork combined with delicate tropical fruits is a real find for a festive or everyday table. The ease and speed of preparation allows you to prepare the dish even for a large family. If desired, the fruits can be replaced with pineapple or tangerine, but in the original version the meat will be more piquant and unusual.

Ingredients

• Fruit pulp – 500 g.
• Minced pork – 125 g.
• Ground peanuts - 2/3 cup.
• Chili pepper - one piece.
• Chopped cilantro or parsley - ¼ cup.
• Palm or brown sugar - ½ cup.
• Black pepper - to taste.
• Garlic – 2 cloves.
• Vegetable oil - to taste.
• Grated coriander seeds – 1 tablespoon.
• Soy sauce - to taste.

Cooking method

1. Crush the garlic and fry it together with coriander until golden brown in vegetable oil.
2. Add minced meat, peanuts, chili pepper, cilantro, sugar, add soy sauce and pepper.
3. Stirring, fry until dark and the mixture dries out.
4. Add rambutan, fry for another 2-3 minutes.
5. Serve as a separate dish or in combination with rice or potatoes.

Ice cream with rambutan

• Time: 5 minutes.
• Number of servings: 1 person.
• Calorie content of the dish: 200 kcal per 100 g.
• Purpose: dessert.
• Cuisine: Asian.
• Difficulty: easy.

Any children's party or family holiday will provide a great variety of ice cream with interesting flavors. This dessert is easy to prepare, but unique due to the combination of several fruits. You can choose virtually any ice cream - with vanilla the dessert will turn out to be more restrained, and with chocolate or pistachio it will be brighter.

Ingredients

• Ice cream – 100 g.
• Pineapple – 4 slices
• 4 rambutan fruits.
• Cinnamon - to taste.

Cooking method

1. Place ice cream in a bowl.
2. Place rambutan around the edges.
3. Place pineapple on top and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Video

Rambutan is an example of true exoticism: the unusual taste and external “hairy” appearance of the fruit will alert anyone who is accustomed to plump and ruddy apples. But in Southeast Asia, rambutan is loved and revered, romantic legends are created about it, national dishes are prepared, and medicines made from it are sold in pharmacies. It is no coincidence that many tourists bring home from Thailand not only magnets and beach outfits, but also spectacular bouquets of rambutan.

A little history

For those who have never seen rambutan in person, the photo will show a strange, furry fruit that looks like a small hairy egg. But behind the intimidating outer shell lies a creamy flesh with a delicate taste, reminiscent of green ladyfingers.

The birthplace of the hairy fruit is Asia, but now rambutan plantations can be found in almost every country with a tropical climate. The leaders in the production and export of this oriental miracle are Thailand, India and Indonesia. Rambutan was actively discussed in the 18th century, when the Thai king Rama II praised the fruit in his treatise, noting that the fruit is ugly on the outside, but wonderful on the inside. It was this rambutan unusualness that found a response in Asian legends and myths.

One of the most romantic Thai legends - the eastern version of "Beauty and the Beast" - tells about Prince Sang Thong, who, for unknown reasons, hid his face under a rambutan mask and himself looked scary, dark and hairy. But the king’s beautiful youngest daughter - just like the shrewd Belle - saw all the prince’s charm and kind heart behind the mask and wanted to marry him. After the wedding, the young queen was rewarded handsomely - the prince really turned out to be smart, gentle, and also a rare handsome man.

How to grow rambutan at home?

The shaggy fruit grows on tall, spreading trees from 4 to 25 meters, and when ripe it actively changes color - from bright green to orange and bright red with green hairs. Rambutan grows very unusually - Wikipedia says that on trees the fruit is collected in large hairy clusters of up to 30 pieces. Considering that the fruits sometimes reach 4-6 cm in diameter, you can imagine what this tropical crop looks like on the branches...

The good news for extreme gardeners is that you can plant a fluffy tree at home, it won’t break through the roof, and will easily adjust to the height of your ceiling. It is easy to grow rambutan at home from an ordinary seed, but first check it for fertility. To do this, the bone needs to be wrapped in a wet cloth, closed in a container and hidden in a dark place. If after 10-14 days sprouts appear on it, everything is in order, you can plant homemade rambutan.

An exotic tree loves warmth and humidity, so the best place for it is an insulated balcony, a home greenhouse, or simply the sunniest room. To begin with, the seed is dug into a small container; after 2-3 months, when the oriental plant reaches 3-4 cm, you can move it to a larger pot. The main thing is not to forget to spray and water the rambutan well; even better, install a humidifier in the room. With proper care, in 3-5 years the Asian guest will give her first hairy harvest.

What are the benefits of hairy fruit?

Unlike many other tropical fruits that are ready to save you from literally all diseases (vitamin, etc.), rambutan is a fruit of a narrower focus. But this does not make it any less useful; on the contrary, in its “sphere” the furry oriental miracle works wonders.

Asians have long appreciated the ability of rambutan to treat the stomach and intestines - the fruit relieves stomach inflammation, stops mild indigestion and diarrhea. But if you decide to use this folk remedy on vacation, be careful - first, eat half the fruit and make sure that the body reacts normally to the exotic, otherwise you may get the opposite effect.

Rambutan is also an excellent product for the skin! Thai beauties love to use the elastic pulp for cosmetic masks, and many tourists agree with them. Rambutan masks restore freshness and elasticity to the face, but there is a little secret - the same effect can be achieved if you simply eat 3-4 hairy rambutan balls a day for a couple of weeks.

Rambutan has another amazing advantage - its beneficial properties and contraindications have been known for a long time, and the latter are practically non-existent. If you have never tried this unusual fruit, start with small doses, and if your stomach is satisfied, then you can enjoy rambutan in any quantity - there will be no harm.

It’s a pity that in our Russian market rambutan is not so popular in baskets

How to choose and eat rambutan?

Unlike protected by law, rambutan can easily be taken out of the country after a vacation and brought as a gift to friends. Especially for curious tourists in Thailand, rambutan branches are tied into small bouquets - romantic and convenient.

Choosing a hairy fruit at any eastern market is very simple - ripe fruits do not sit on the shelves. In Russian supermarkets the situation is more complicated - you can run into overripe or spoiled fruit. The correct rambutan is bright red in color, without cracks or stains, with fresh greenish hairs.

Many people are confused by the unusual appearance of the fruit, and the question arises: rambutan - how to eat this furry miracle correctly? On a ripe fruit, it is easy to find a thin seam along the skin: run a knife along it, and the fruit will easily separate into 2 halves.

Important advice - there is a bitter, inedible seed inside the rambutan, and you need to eat the fruit carefully so as not to inadvertently bite off the nasty seed.

Rambutan is stored in the refrigerator for only about a week, so it is best to eat the fruit immediately after purchase. Overstayed rambutan looks a little scary - a dark, hairy skin with a circle of translucent flesh peeking out.

Recipes with rambutan

Rambutan is quite popular in oriental cooking: fresh creamy pulp is added to cocktails and salads, and roasted meats are prepared. In Asian stores you can find canned rambutans, confitures and jams.

Our housewives have gotten used to using rambutan in familiar Russian recipes. This is what many people’s favorite crab salad with an exotic twist looks like:

You will need: a package of crab sticks 200 g, boiled rice 100 g, 500 g of fresh or canned rambutans, some herbs and mayonnaise.

Finely chop all the ingredients, mix and season with mayonnaise (sour cream). Decorate with basil on top.

Children's parties and romantic dinners will be decorated with rambutan ice cream.

You will need: 100 grams of any ice cream, 4 slices of pineapple, 4 rambutans, .

Place ice cream in a bowl, slices of rambutan around the edges, and pineapple on top. Sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.

As you know, each part of the planet has its own types of edible products, which are often unavailable in other regions. True, with the development of mankind, it became possible to visit exotic countries and try the fruits and vegetables grown there, which are quite familiar to the local population. One of these fruits was the unusual rambutan.

Exotic rambutan is a unique fruit that has a delicate aroma and taste, and also contains a lot of useful substances that are not found in other fruits and which give it many beneficial properties. The scope of this fruit is not limited to cooking. Its rich composition has attracted interest in medicine and cosmetology.

In this article we will look at the beneficial properties of rambutan, what benefits it can bring to human health and get acquainted with its nutritional composition. And for those who travel to those countries where this hairy fruit is not exotic, we will tell you how to choose it at local markets and how to eat it correctly.

Where and how does rambutan grow?

Rambutan is still an unknown edible exotic fruit in our latitudes. True, those who like to travel to warm overseas countries know about it.

This fruit grows on the rambutan tree of the same name, which belongs to the Sapindaceae family. Thus, the closest “relatives” in this case include maple, horse chestnut, pulasan, ackee, corlan and lychee.

Many believe that the Malay Archipelago can be confidently called its homeland, but reliable information about the place of origin of the rambutan tree does not yet exist.

In Costa Rica and Nicaragua, rambutan fruits are better known as mamon chino. But in Guatemala they call it that because of the Indonesian word “rambut”, meaning hair.

This plant prefers a tropical climate, so its largest plantations are located in Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Southeast Asia. Today, rambutan is also grown in Australia, Central America, Africa, the Caribbean Islands, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and India.

Naturally, the residents of these countries have many legends and myths about this plant and the fruit itself. But rambutan is most loved by the Thais, who even celebrate it.

Rambutan fruits have a round or oval shape and a size of up to 6 centimeters. They are collected in clusters of 25-30 pieces. As it ripens, the skin changes from yellow-orange to bright red or red-orange.

The surface of the peel covering the pulp is additionally “equipped” with hard hairs, bent in the form of a hook along the edges. Their color varies from dark to light brown. The length of each hair does not exceed 2 centimeters.

The pulp of the fruit resembles an unripe nut in appearance and is characterized by a gelatinous structure. Its color, depending on the variety, can be white, yellow, pink or red.

Rambutan has a pleasant, slightly sweet taste. There is a seed inside the fruit, which is poisonous when fresh. But it is quite possible to germinate rambutan from it at home.

Composition of rambutan fruit

Like any tropical fruit, rambutan has a chemical and biological composition necessary for the “consumer,” which determines the importance and significance of the product.

Thus, in these exotic fruits (mostly in the pulp) the following are observed:

• Proteins;
• Ash elements;
• Protein;
• Fats;
• Carbohydrates;
• B vitamins such as thiamine and riboflavin;
• Niacin (or nicotinic acid);
• Minerals represented by calcium, phosphorus, nitrogen, sodium, iron, zinc, sodium, magnesium, manganese and potassium;
• The seed contains arachidonic and oleic acids, which partially pass into the pulp, as well as tannin;
• Stone fats and oils account for 40% of the total amount of all observed fats.

We can say that the caloric content of rambutan is not so high and amounts to only 80–85 kilocalories per 100 grams of the edible part of the product.

A 100-gram serving of rambutan can provide our body with 40 grams of vitamin C, which is almost 66 percent of the daily value. Vitamin C is important not only for immunity, but as an antioxidant it helps get rid of free radicals, heavy metal salts and other toxins. It also helps improve skin condition.

This fruit is also an excellent source of copper. Copper deficiency can lead to anemia, fragility of blood vessels, high cholesterol, weakening the body, leading to frequent infections, and chronic fatigue. Bones and joints, hair need grinding. Such fruits can prevent hair loss and prevent premature graying.

Beneficial properties of rambutan

If such a fruit exists and has been eaten by residents of southern tropical countries for centuries, then the benefits of its introduction into the diet still exist and are clearly defined.

Therefore, we can speak with confidence about the following beneficial qualities of an exotic fruit:

• Preventing the appearance of atherosclerosis;
• Strengthening the heart muscle and blood vessels;
• Reducing high blood pressure;
• Protection from pathological diseases of the digestive system;
• Improving the catalysis of metabolic processes, in particular lipid and enzyme metabolism (therefore, it is often included in diets for the treatment of obesity);
• Increased immunity;
• Reducing the risk of cancer formation;
• Preventing the occurrence of neurological disorders;
• Cleansing the intestines from “unhealthy” microflora (used in the treatment of infectious diarrhea);
• “killing” and removing helminths (given to children even with the development of helminthic infestation);
• Restoration of strength in the postpartum period (bark decoction is given);
• Relieving headaches (special leaf poultices are made);
• Relief from fever;
• Treatment of diseases of the oral cavity (the mouth is rinsed with a decoction of the peel of the fruit);
• Improving the condition of the skin and hair;
• General rejuvenating effect.

How to eat rambutan

Often, the jelly-like pulp of rambutan, without seeds, is usually consumed raw. But you can eat this fruit in canned form.

Cooks who appreciated all the taste qualities (sweet and sour insides of the fruit) began to add fruit pulp to

• Fillings for pies and pies;
• Various sauces;
• Borne;
• Fruit cocktails;
• Jams with sugar.

Before eating rambutan, it is necessary to remove the skin from the fruit. To do this, cut the fruit into two halves with a regular knife. After this, the peel should easily separate from the pulp.

It is also advisable to first remove the pit from the innermost part by cutting the pulp into two parts.

If this does not happen, then the rambutan is already spoiled and it is better not to eat it.

The taste of the fruit pulp is vaguely reminiscent of ripe green grapes and sweet lychee fruit.

You can also use peeled and seedless rambutans in smoothies and fruit salads, for example as a substitute for lychee. If you have a juicer at home, you can juice the fruit and flavor it with a little cinnamon or vanilla. Delicious.

We must not forget about the inedibility of the seeds. They need to be removed. Although some Filipino chefs may offer fried aromatic seeds of the fruit (they taste like acorns), claiming that the latter will not cause harm. Maybe, but as an unusual food it is better not to eat them at all.

How to select and store rambutan

When choosing fruit, the first thing you need to pay attention to is the peel. High-quality fruits should be yellow, bright red or red-orange.

In addition, peel hair is an indicator of quality fruits. They should be green, firm and not sticky.

The maximum storage of peeled fruits is a week in a refrigerator. Longer storage time may be frozen.

Due to its short shelf life, it is almost impossible to buy fresh rambutan here. It's better to buy canned fruit. True, they are even more rare.

Possible harm of rambutan fruit

Regarding this tropical fruit, which is rare on the shelves of domestic stores and markets, doctors do not have any negative statements. After all, it is shown to almost everyone.

The only thing that needs to be taken into account is the composition of rambutan. Just an unusual fruit can result in various negative allergic reactions or diarrhea if

• Individual intolerance to its components is observed;
• The fruit is consumed uncontrolled and in large quantities.

How else to use rambutan

Due to the release of aromatic oils when rambutan seeds are fried, they are usually added to cosmetics to create a pleasant “perfume” or to scented candles.

Tree wood becomes a good base for finishing materials and wooden furniture.

But young shoots are the main component of fabric dyes for silk. Yellow and green dyes are obtained from it.

In cooking, jams, jams, and compotes are made from these fruits.

Here is such an unusual and unusual tropical exotic fruit rambutan. If you go on vacation to tropical countries, take note of this information.

How the rambutan fruit grows and what a rambutan tree represents, watch this video

Rambutan - a fruit of health and beauty
“Creepy appearance, unearthly taste” - this is what they say in Southeast Asia about rambutan fruits. Local residents consider the tree sacred and magically powerful.
Like any product, it has limitations. But with regard to rambutan, the benefits and harms are incommensurable. The usefulness has been scientifically proven, the contraindications are negligible.
Thais eat five fruits daily. They are confident that with such a menu the risk of getting cancer is almost zero.
Rambutan is the number one fruit, the pride and heritage of the region. He was loved all over the world.

Everything about rambutan is unusual, starting with its “appearance”:

• Red round or oval “fluffies” - that’s what rambutans are at first glance. The peel is thick and can be reddish-orange or orange. In Malaysia, elongated yellow fruits are found.
• Covered with red-greenish hairs similar to antennae. But they are not prickly, but soft and flexible. The hairs give the fruit its name: the Indonesian term "rambut" means "hair". This is a “trick” that distinguishes the fruit from others. Specimens with fallen hairs are similar to.
• The pearl-colored pulp resembles a dense, juicy jelly and exudes a very pleasant aroma.
• Inside there is an oblong light brown large bone (1.5-2.3 cm).
• Rambutan fruits also taste different – ​​sweet or sour. Some with strawberry notes.
• The aroma of the whole fruit is difficult to detect. But the pulp exudes a range of sweet dark varieties.
• They ripen like apples: from green through yellow to intense scarlet.

In rambutan, the edible pulp and the inedible part (bone plus peel) are almost equal in weight. The weight of 1 fruit is 32-39 grams. A kilogram of fruit is 25-30 pieces or 470-490 grams of pulp.

How is rambutan different from lychee?

Rambutan and lychee are close relatives and grow on similar trees. They have a lot in common, but there are also differences:

The main external difference between rambutan is the hairs on the skin, which do not exist in lychee.

Where and how does rambutan grow?

These are evergreen trees of the Sapindaceae family. They grow in the tropics. The leaves are elongated, small flowers form inflorescences, and the fruits are collected in clusters.

Natural range - countries of Southeast Asia. Targeted cultivation is carried out in the homeland of the crop: in Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia. Breeders from the latter two countries have bred the most varieties, enriching the local wild abundance.

There are rambutan plantations in Sri Lanka, Australia, India, and Central America. The richest harvest is collected by residents of the southern provinces of Thailand - Rayong and Surat Thani. The trees themselves grow up to 19-24 meters. To make harvesting easier, people bred a variety of tree no more than five meters high. During the season, 17-20 kg of fruit are removed from each person.

Rambutan season in Thailand

In Thailand, exotic fruit ripens during the rainy season - from April to August. Tourists come for tastings between June and August. At this time, fruits are the juiciest, sweetest, and cheapest. It wasn't always like this. Nature gave the harvest only in May, but breeders in Southeast Asia pushed the boundaries. Fruits are sold until the 20th of September.

How to clean and eat rambutan

For any European who has visited the country or bought exotics in their homeland, the question arises of how to eat rambutans correctly. There is nothing complicated.

Choose

To enjoy the fruit, you need to choose fresh, ripe specimens. They are distinguished by:

• fetal density;
• pulp – hard translucent sweet jelly;
• peel – bright red, without dark areas;
• elastic reddish hairs; acceptable with greenish tips (these are ripe specimens from the south of Thailand);
• shell integrity.

Overstayed fruits contain liquid, and the taste appears acidic with a hint of fermentation. Their skin is dull and wrinkled. Antenna hairs are withered, yellowish or brownish. Sometimes they are not there - they have disappeared. You can eat slightly overripe fruits, but only freshly picked ones. The unripe fruit has a pink peel that is difficult to separate.

Cleaning

Clean tropical exotic with a knife or hands:

• A regular knife is used. The skin is cut (not to the pulp) along the entire circumference and opened.
• With your hands. They find a “seam” on the peel that divides the fruit in half. Twist the peel halves along the seam in opposite directions. You can apply pressure to crack the peel.

In both options, the shell can be easily removed. Underneath there is flesh that you can bite off.

Let's eat

The fruit is eaten by holding it in the hands. Only the pulp is edible, which is bitten off or put into the mouth whole.
The rambutan seed is bitter and can be toxic to Europeans. To avoid accidentally swallowing it, the fruit is bitten, like...
Tourists are also offered peeled fruits. But this is less healthy and hygienic. Yes, and it’s interesting to try to clean the exotic.
The most delicious rambutan is in its homeland, in Asia. It is enjoyed immediately after purchase.
Fruits are not intended for long-term storage. You can store a fresh, strong specimen in the refrigerator for a maximum of a week.

Calorie content and composition

The stereotype “everything tasty is bad” for rambutan is invalid. You can enjoy the exotic while simultaneously improving your health and not worrying about your figure.

Calories

Any variety of rambutan fruit has a calorie content of 75-85 units per 100 grams of pulp. The numbers may seem exorbitant to those on a diet, but when consuming it, fats do not accumulate in the body.

Chemical composition

The fruit contains a large amount of organic acids, vitamins, and other useful substances:

• saturated and unsaturated fatty acids: nicotinic, pantothenic (concentrated in the bones);
• vitamins: A, B (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 12), C, PP (niacin), riboflavin;
• thiamine

Mineral composition:

• iron;
• potassium;
• calcium;
• magnesium;
• manganese;
• copper;
• sodium;
• phosphorus.

The nutritional value

Four-fifths of the fruit is water. The remaining 17-20 grams (out of every 100) are distributed as follows (g):

• proteins – 0.63-0.66;
• fats – 0.19-0.22;
• carbohydrates – 16.0-19.0.

The exact indicator depends on the degree of ripeness and type of fruit.

Beneficial properties of rambutan

Rambutan's beneficial properties and contraindications have been identified thanks to research by scientists in China and Malaysia.
The advantages outweigh:

• It has been proven that the seeds, peel, and pulp are effective in the fight against cancer.
• The peel of the fruit contains phenolic acids-antioxidants, which simultaneously kill infections and bacteria. Extracts from it are sold as dietary supplements.
• The antimicrobial properties of the pulp allow it to be used as an anthelmintic.
• A set of vitamins and minerals helps the body work and slows down aging.
• Phosphorus cleanses the kidneys of “garbage” and is indispensable for the growth and restoration of body cells.
• To alleviate the condition, people with diabetes are prescribed crushed fruit seeds.
• A dietary product that helps burn fat is a godsend for fans of healthy eating. This is facilitated by fiber, increased water content, and low calorie content. Many people simply swallow the bones.