Rambutan: The Creature Resembling Fruit
Source via. OPMA. (n.d.). Rambutan. Produce Made Simple. https://producemadesimple.ca/rambutan/
What is a rambutan?
Often described as a “weird funky looking object,” the rambutan is a small “golf-ball-sized” tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia although it has been known to grow in other parts of the world. The rambutan’s name comes from the Malaysian word for “hair,” due to the fruit resembling a scalp with tiny hairs growing out of it. The fruit’s appearance can definitely seem very menacing as it looks eerily similar to a sea urchin, giving the fruit an almost sentient look. But don’t be alarmed this is simply its outer skin that is often a pinkish-dark-red or yellow tone with the inside containing a bulb of flesh and a seed in the middle. The seed of the rambutan is inedible and poisonous if consumed in large quantities. Both the flavor and consistency of the rambutan are often compared to that of a grape though just a tad bit “fruitier”. A rambutan is fairly easy to eat, first, you start off by cutting the outer skin in a circle-like movement all around the fruit from there you simply twist off the top half from the bottom to reveal its inner pearly white flesh. From there you can simply pop out the sphere-shaped flesh. Rambutan have 21 different varieties, each differing drastically in shape, taste, size, color, and location. The in which rambutan tend to grow on have been known to reach heights near 80 ft. Rambutan trees tend to bear fruit usually twice a year, once in June and another in December. One of the biggest drawbacks of the Rambutan is that it is extremely fragile it can only be picked by hand and has to be carefully snapped off on the stem. Rambutan has a shelf life of 2 weeks and has to be in markets usually 4-3 days after being picked. Along with its extremely short shelf life, rambutan has to be grown in very specific tropical climates. Due to its extreme limitations, rambutan is very high in demand in places where it is impossible to be grown naturally.
How sustainable is the rambutan?
Rambutan is quite sustainable with relatively low water and carbon footprint. Along with the creation of the rambutan having a low effect on the environment, every part of the fruit itself is used to create many things. From the leaves to the peel or “skin” of the fruit is used to make things such as creams, and hair oils, this ensures that there is little to no waste during the entire process. However, there is a whole different side as well and that’s ethnic, rambutan is not an ethically sustainable product. As mentioned before the fruits only bloom twice a year which means there is a massive rush to harvest as much fruit as possible. Not only does it bloom twice a year but rambutan is also very fragile so machines cannot pick them it all has to be done by hand. So tons and tons of workers are hired, most with minimal to poor working conditions. Keep in mind that the trees reach heights of up to 80 ft. Most companies skip out on the safety belts and so workers are then forced to climb up and gather them by hand after harvesting the ones near the ground. Rambutan is also extremely valuable in the market for example, in the U.S rambutan is almost 3$ a pound. Almost none of this goes to the actual farmers who grow them nor the workers who don’t get paid a living wage to pick. But companies such as BASF have made commitments that benefit both the farmers and workers involved in the process. Scientists in the School of Food Science and Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China have been researching ways to decrease the browning process of rambutan that allows it to get to more places in more time and thus lowering the price of rambutan making it more affordable.
My personal experience with rambutan
My first experience with rambutan came while I was on vacation in Hawaii, after a hefty meal my family ordered a fruit platter. It was there that I saw this “odd” looking thing directly in front of me. I remember vividly thinking to myself “oh god, is that thing alive?” To which the waiter there let out a small chuckle and prepared it for me. By simply cutting the fruit in half it exposed its clear flesh and seed in the middle. To my surprise, the fruit had a tropical and sweet taste to it which I found to be quite pleasant.
Rambutan Smoothie:
Although simple and quick it proves to be quite effective in giving a great morning boost using a variety of fruits.
Ingredients:
- 1 whole banana
- 2 cups of coconut meat
- 3 peeled and pitted rambutans
Nutritional facts:
1087 56g 156g 12g
Calories fat carbs protein
Steps:
Step 1. Gather all ingredients
Step 2. Process all the ingredients in a blender until your preferred consistency
Step 3. Pour in a tall glass and enjoy
Source via: https://www.thespruceeats.com/rambutan-fruit-juice-for-pain-relief-2078383
Blog post by Yair Villarruel
Bibliography:
Wall, M., Sivakumar, D., & Korsten, L. (2011). Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.). Postharvest Biology and Technology of Tropical and Subtropical Fruits, 312-335e. https://doi.org/10.1533/9780857092618.312
Mortan, J., & Mortan, F. (1987). Rambutan. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/rambutan.html
From “p. 262–265. In: Fruits of warm climates”
Rambutans – Cargo Handbook – the world’s largest cargo transport guidelines website. (n.d.). Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://www.cargohandbook.com/Rambutans
Tsai, T. T. (2020, October 22). A Hairy Fruit: Rambutan. Oh Snap! Let’s Eat! Retrieved September 28, 2022, from https://ohsnapletseat.com/2012/10/15/a-very-hairy-fruit-rambutan/
Wei, D., Yang, J., Xiang, Y., Meng, L., Pan, Y., & Zhang, Z. (2022). Attenuation of Postharvest Browning in Rambutan Fruit by Melatonin Is Associated With Inhibition of Phenolics Oxidation and Reinforcement of Antioxidative Process. Frontiers in nutrition, 9, 905006. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.905006
Henneberry , C. (2019, March 23). Rambutan: the new superfruit. A Sustainability Ingredient Story [web log]. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.gcimagazine.com/ingredients/regulatory/article/21848807/basf-rambutan-the-new-superfruit-a-sustainability-ingredient-story.
Marie, A. (2022, March 7). Rambutan Benefits and Side Effects . Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.healabel.com/rambutan-benefits/.
Aniela, M. (2019, July 18). How to grow Rambutan Trees. Plant Instructions. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://plantinstructions.com/tropical-fruit/how-to-grow-rambutan/
Hannum, R. (2021, August 1). Rambutan Fruit Juice Recipe. The Spruce Eats. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.thespruceeats.com/rambutan-fruit-juice-for-pain-relief-2078383
Petre, A. (2018, December 7). Rambutan: A Tasty Fruit With Health Benefits. Healthline. Retrieved September 30, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/rambutan
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