While I was wandering through the produce section of my local HEB today, I was trying to figure out what in the world I had not had before. Not too long into my search, I saw a strange-looking fruit called Rambutan. I knew I had seen them before but never went out of my way to buy them, so I thought why not pick some up to try.
The Rambutan is a fruit native to southeast Asia and is closely related to the lychee fruit. The outside is not edible but the fruit on the inside can be enjoyed. There is a seed in the middle of the fruit and it can be roasted, but most people do not eat it as it may have mild narcotic properties. More research needs to be done before it is officially approved by the FDA as safe to consume. Rambutan can be found at the local HEB in the fruit section and sells for $3.98 a pound. The bag, however, was about 2 lbs. making the total cost of the fruit over $8. The sign by the fruit described it as “simply peel and enjoy fresh, provides calcium and fiber, seed has an almond-like taste.”
The Rambutan had a rubbery, spiky feel and was reddish-brown on the outside. It was easy to open and what I found interesting is that, while the outside had one look and feel to it, the inside was quite the opposite. I decided to eat the fruit as is with no shell or seed to see how it tasted. I used a knife to cut into the fruit, but it is possible to tear it open with one's hands. The Rambutan was very easy to cut open, but I was surprised to see some of the juices start to ooze out of the shell of the fruit. Once I got it open, I found the inside looked slimy, similar to a peeled grape. The fruit had a slick feel to it, was an opaque cream color, and smelled a bit like a pear.
The taste was similar to a peeled grape or a pear and had a similar texture to that of a peeled grape. The Rambutan had a slightly sweet taste to it which I liked; however, the fruit was slippery making it harder to hold.
My family and I all agreed that it was a fun experience to try Rambutan. We enjoyed experiencing the new flavor this fruit provided and learning about products from other parts of the world. Overall, the Rambutan was not bad and there is a chance I would buy it again since it was portable, easy to open, and had a relatively good flavor to it.
Hello Gwyneth! I have tried Rambutan fruit a few years back, and I remember thinking that they resembled peeled grapes as well. I haven't had this fruit again in quite some time, but I remember loving it then. Did you happen to notice if your HEB also carried yellow Rambutan fruit? I have yet to try that kind of Rambutan and would definitely like to give it a try.
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