The rambutan
(/ræmˈbuːtən/; taxonomic name: Nephelium lappaceum) is a medium-sized tropical
tree in the family Sapindaceae. The fruit produced by the tree is also known as
rambutan.
According to
popular belief and the origin of its name, rambutan is native to Indonesia and
Malaysia. The earliest record of rambutan trees show that they were cultivated
by the Malayan jungle tribes around their temporary settlements, a practice
followed to date.Rambutan trees grow naturally in Thailand, Vietnam, the
Philippines, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, although its precise natural
distribution is unknown.It is closely related to several other edible tropical
fruits including thelychee, longan, and mamoncillo.It is native to the
Indonesian Archipelago,from where it spread westwards to Thailand, Burma, Sri
Lanka and India; northwards to Vietnam, and the Philippines.
A species
regularly sold in Costa Rican markets may be known as "wild"
rambutan. Yellow in color, it is smaller than the usual red variety. The flesh
exposed when the outer skin is peeled off is sweet and sour, slightly
grape-like and gummy to the taste. In Panama and Costa Rican Spanish, it is
known as mamón chino ("Chinese Sucker") due to its Asian origin and
the likeness of the edible part with Melicoccus bijugatus. The fruit has been
successfully transplanted by grafting in Puerto Rico.
Rambutans are
a non-climacteric fruit—that is, they ripen only on the tree.
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