Rambutan

Rambutan, a fruit found in many Asian countries. The word "rambut" is Malay for 'hairy' which refers to the spiky rind. It looks like a lychee with spiky hair.

When opened it reveals a while flesh that surrounds an almond-like pit.

We first tried this fruit several years ago but weren’t impressed by it. Perhaps that’s because it was not fresh rambutan but canned. We finally had fresh ones while in Malaysia back in March. We found them to be quite delicious. Lightly sweet and mild in flavor, they are very refreshing on a hot day.We found these in a local Asian market over the weekend. At $6/pound they are a bit pricey but we went ahead and got a few anyway. We were not disappointed. Jim expertly opened them up and within minutes they were devoured. If you see these hairy little beasts in the market, get a half dozen or so and enjoy.