Native to south-east Asia this lovely fruit has almost a soft silky feel when you touch it and looks very pretty. Similar to the Lychee, Longan and mamoncillo fruits it has a sweet tasting grape-like flavour.
All the fruit stalls and the markets have lots of this pretty fruit it is being sold everywhere…Thais love their fresh fruit and this one is no exception…
It has a leathery red skin covered with soft, fleshy spires hence the name which means “hairy.”
In Vietnam, it is called Chom Chom which means messy hair.
The peeled fruits can be eaten raw or cooked and are often used in fruit salads or made into a syrup to flavour whipped cream or cocktails.
Although grown all over Southeast Asia, Thailand is the largest producer.
The rambutan is made into jams, jellies or canned in syrup.
Rambutan contains diverse nutrients in modest amounts. Vitamin C, Calcium and iron.
Like many other fruits and vegetables, the skin has been used to treat dysentery or chronic fever. The leaves are also made into a paste by mashing the leaves, adding water and squeezing out the extract then applied to the forehead this paste is also a great hair conditioner.
Boiling the tree roots to make a tea is also used to treat fevers.
How to open it?
Pot your thumbnail into the skin and squeeze and turn the fruit the fleshy fruit will just pop out.
Rambutan Jam.
- 3 cups of peeled and seeded Rambutan,
- Juice of a large lemon
- 2 1/2 cups of sugar.
Let’s Cook!
Blitz the Rambutan in the food processor …I leave mine a little chunky then put all ingredients in a pan. Bring to the boil and simmer on medium until the sugar has dissolved. Turn down and simmer 15-20 minutes until the mix has thickened. Make sure you don’t let the sugar caramelise.
Put in a sterilised bottle.
This is lovely instead of applesauce on meats.
N.B. Make sure your fruit is very fresh or the jam will have a dusty taste..not nice at all.
Thai Chicken curry with rambutan.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken breast cubed or sliced or boneless thighs
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
- 3 red Thai chillies cut diagonally
- 1 stalk lemongrass, smashed, outer layers removed, and inner core thinly sliced
- One 2-inch piece galangal root, peeled and thinly sliced
- 8 rambutan
- 2 tbsp. coconut oil
- 1⁄2 small pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 2 1⁄2 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp. fish sauce
- 2 tsp. palm sugar or light brown sugar
- Coriander leaves, to garnish
- Lime wedges, for serving

- 7 oz Rambutan about 8/9 fruits
- Half a cup of granulated sugar.
For cocktail:
- 4 large mint leaves
- A wedge of lime and a couple of slices.
- 2 fl oz white rum
- Sparkling water
To make the syrup peel the Rambutan over a bowl to catch any juices, cut the fruit off the pits being careful not to take off the papery skin we don’t want that in our cocktail do we?
In a small pan combine the sugar with half a cup of water bring to a rolling boil stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and set aside to cool down. When the syrup has cooled down puree with the Rambutan and any juices until it is smooth.
This puree will keep in the fridge for about 10 days…It is enough for about 8 cocktails.
To make the cocktail…combine 2 tbsp of the syrup in a glass with the mint leaves, squeeze in the lime and add the wedge then muddle gently to release the mint and lime oils. Add the rum and crushed ice and additional lime slices if req then add sparkling water to taste. Stir gently with a straw.
To make it extra special roll a peeled rambutan in sugar or a sugar and chilli mix and add to the edge of the glass.
Enjoy!
Have you come across this pretty little fruit?? Do you have any favourite recipes using this fruit?? If so I would love to hear from you in the comments x
Thank you for reading this post I do hope you enjoyed it and if you did please hit the share buttons xxx
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Have a lovely weekend and stay safe xxx
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Great post! I love this fruit and only just discovered it a couple of years ago. I really like your recipe.
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Thank you…So do I 🙂
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Carol, it feels silky?? Those spikes looked fierce to me!! Remember when I said I saw some in Walmart, and you encouraged me to try them? I never did, and haven’t seen them since.
I wonder if I lost my only opportunity??
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Yes, they feel really soft and silky..Let’s hope not they are in season now so maybe Walmart will have them again 🙂 x
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Such a great fruit. I love the flavor of rambutan, lychees, and loganberries. So tropical. 🙂
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So do I …the choice of fruit here is awesome 🙂
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I would be in heaven 😋
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I am always in heaven here 🙂 x
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My mom grew up in Indonesia and she loves rambutan, but we can’t get it here. I don’t think people even know what it is. 😀 The mojito sounds delicious!
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Yes it is I love making fruit syrups …Have you tried Asian stores as when I lived in England they used to stock some of the fruits when they were in season 🙂 x
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I haven’t tried to find a store. I live over an hour from the city so will have to remember when I go in. Great idea. 🙂
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Thank you, Diana…They do seem to be popping up everywhere so fingers crossed you find goodies 🙂 x
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I see this hairy fruit all the time at Fresh Fields Farms. Because I’ve seen you picture it here, maybe I’ll have the courage to buy some and make a simple recipe. It won’t be the chicken curry. Recipes with more than 8 ingredients scare me – ha!
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Jam it is then, Marian although they are lovely just to eat raw…But that curry is making the paste from scratch, there are some very good curry pastes ready made that brings it down to less than 8… Mae ploy is a good one 🙂 x
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We all love rambutan fruit, I never get a chance to cook these delicious fruits as they all vanish immediately after buying them. 🙂
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I know they are so delicious aren’t they 🙂
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Mmmmm…. Cocktail!! This sounds delicious. I don’t see rambutan much in my area, but they do pop up every once in a while! I’ll have to keep an eye out! 🍻🥂
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Yes, something different …Hope you are well 🙂 x
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I love rambuttan. You can’t really buy them in the uk so I’m trying to sprout some seeds. Not sure if it will work but worth a try.
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If you put them somewhere warm to start maybe the airing cupboard if you have one …good luck . Also if you have an Asian shop near you they may stock some fruit in season 🙂
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No need for airing cupboard. We’re having a mini heatwave for Britain. No rain for three weeks and it’s 30 degrees outside!
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Ideal then find a sunny spot and cross your fingers 🙂
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Mojito with Rambutan fruit ! Sounds interesting 👌
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It is lovely…I love making fruit syrups for cocktails 🙂
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What a great post about the humble Rambuttan. Back in my native place, people who migrated to Singapore and erstwhile ” Malaya” brought these fruits with them and planted them in their gardens, so these trees grow well in our part of the world too. I never knew it could be made into a juice or jam- thanks for the wonderful recipes. Maybe it can be used in fish curry ? Because of its tanginess ?
Susie
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I don’t see why not, Susie if you try it let me know 🙂 and thank you it is very plentiful here at the moment as are dragon fruit and I prefer to buy fruit in season …Maybe I will try to grow one from the pit I have grown avocado/limes from pits/stones..Carol 🙂
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