Rambutan

It is an evergreen tree growing to a height of {{cvt|15|–|24|m|0}}.{{Cite web |last=Grant |first=Amy |date=19 April 2021 |title=Rambutan Growing Tips: Learn About Rambutan Tree Care |url=https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/rambutan/rambutan-growing-tips.htm |access-date=22 July 2022 |publisher=Gardening Know How}} The leaves are alternate, {{cvt|14|–|30|cm|0}} long, pinnate, with three to eleven leaflets, each leaflet {{cvt|5|–|15|cm|0}} wide and {{cvt|3|–|10|cm}} broad with an entire margin.{{cn|date=June 2025}}

The flowers are small, {{cvt|2.5|–|5|mm|1}}, apetalous, discoidal, and borne in erect terminal panicles {{cvt|15|–|30|cm|0}} wide. Rambutan trees can be male (producing only staminate flowers and, hence, produce no fruit), female (producing flowers that are only functionally female), or hermaphroditic (producing flowers that are female with a small percentage of male flowers).{{cn|date=August 2024}}

The fruit is a round to oval single-seeded drupe, {{cvt|3|–|6|cm|frac=4}} long, rarely to {{cvt|8|cm|frac=4}} long and {{cvt|3|–|4|cm|frac=4}} broad, borne in a loose pendant cluster of ten to twenty fruits together. The leathery skin is reddish (rarely orange or yellow) and covered with fleshy pliable spines, hence the name, which means 'hairs'. The spines (also known as "spinterns") contribute to the transpiration of the fruit, which can affect the fruit's quality.{{Cite journal |last1=Arévalo Galarza |first1=M.L. |last2=Caballero Pérez |first2=J.F. |last3=Valdovinos Ponce |first3=G. |last4=Cadena Íñiguez |first4=J. |last5=Avendaño Arrazate |first5=C.H. |date=March 2018 |title=Growth and histological development of the fruit pericarp in rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum Linn.) |journal=Acta Horticulturae |issue=1194 |pages=165–172 |doi=10.17660/actahortic.2018.1194.25 |issn=0567-7572}}

The fruit flesh, the aril, is translucent, whitish, or very pale pink, with a sweet, mildly acidic flavor reminiscent of grapes.

The single seed is glossy brown, {{cvt|1|–|1.3|cm|frac=8}}, with a white basal scar. Soft and containing equal portions of saturated and unsaturated fats, the seed may be cooked and eaten, but is bitter and has narcotic properties.{{rp|14}}

Around the 13th to 15th centuries, Arab traders, who played a major role in Indian Ocean trade, introduced rambutans to Zanzibar and Pemba in East Africa. There are limited rambutan plantings in some parts of India. In the 19th century, the Dutch introduced rambutans from Indonesia in Southeast Asia, to Suriname in South America. Subsequently, the plants spread to the tropical Americas, planted in the coastal lowlands of Colombia, Ecuador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Trinidad, and Cuba. In 1912, rambutans were introduced to the Philippines from Indonesia. Further introductions were made in 1920 (from Indonesia) and 1930 (from Malaya), but until the 1950s its distribution was limited.

There was an attempt to introduce rambutans to the Southeastern United States, with seeds imported from Java, Indonesia in 1906, but the species proved to be unsuccessful, except in Puerto Rico.

The name rambutan is derived from the Malay word {{lang|ms|rambut}} meaning 'hair' referring to the numerous hairy protuberances of the fruits, together with the noun-building suffix {{lang|ms|-an}}. Similarly, in Vietnam, they are called {{lang|vi|chôm chôm}} (meaning 'messy hair').{{Cite web |title=Vietnamese tropical fruit |date=8 May 2012 |url=https://www.itchyfeetonthecheap.com/2012/05/08/vietnamese-tropical-fruit-and-how-to-eat-it/ |access-date=7 October 2012}}{{better source|date=May 2023|reason=The hairdo is named after the fruit, not the other way around.}} The Chinese name is {{lang-zh|s=红毛丹}} (Mandarin hóngmáodān, Hokkien âng-mô͘-tan), literally 'red-haired pellet'.{{Cite book |author1=Siong Kiat Tan |url=https://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/lkcnhm-e-books/LKCNHM-EBOOK-2019-0001.pdf |title=Minnan (Hokkien) Botanical Names Used in Singapore |author2=Keng Soon Chua |author3=Kok Peng Lim |publisher=University of Singapore |year=2019}}

{{nutritional value

| name=Rambutan, canned, syrup pack

| image=Rambutans with seed.jpg

| kJ=343

| water=78.3 g

| protein=0.65 g

| fat=0.21 g

| carbs=20.87 g

| fiber=0.9 g

| calcium_mg=22

| iron_mg=0.35

| magnesium_mg=7

| phosphorus_mg=9

| potassium_mg=42

| sodium_mg=11

| zinc_mg=0.08

| manganese_mg=0.343

| vitC_mg=4.9

| thiamin_mg=0.013

| riboflavin_mg=0.022

| niacin_mg=1.352

| vitB6_mg=0.02

| folate_ug=8

| source_usda = 1

| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/168167/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]

}}

Image:Rambutans.JPG

Rambutan fruit is 78% water, 21% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and has negligible fat (see table; data are for canned fruit in syrup; raw fruit data are unpublished). In a reference amount of {{cvt|100|g}}, the canned fruit supplies 82 calories and only manganese at 15% of the Daily Value (DV), while other micronutrients are in low content (less than 10% DV, table).

As an un-pigmented fruit flesh, rambutan does not contain significant polyphenol content,{{Cite journal |vauthors=Gorinstein S, Zemser M, Haruenkit R, Chuthakorn R, Grauer F, Martín Belloso O, Trakhtenberg S |year=1999 |title=Comparative content of total polyphenols and dietary fiber in tropical fruits and persimmon |journal=Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry |volume=10 |issue=6 |pages=367–371 |doi=10.1016/s0955-2863(99)00017-0 |pmid=15539312}} but its colorful rind displays diverse phenolic acids, such as syringic, coumaric, gallic, caffeic, and ellagic acids.{{Cite journal |vauthors=Thitilertdecha N, Teerawutgulrag A, Kilburn JD, Rakariyatham N |year=2010 |title=Identification of major phenolic compounds from Nephelium lappaceum L. and their antioxidant activities |journal=Molecules |volume=15 |issue=3 |pages=1453–1465 |doi=10.3390/molecules15031453 |pmc=6257335 |pmid=20335993 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite journal |vauthors=Sun L, Zhang H, Zhuang Y |year=2012 |title=Preparation of free, soluble conjugate, and insoluble-bound phenolic compounds from peels of rambutans (Nephelium lappaceum) and evaluation of antioxidant activities in vitro |journal=Journal of Food Science |volume=77 |issue=2 |pages=C198–C204 |doi=10.1111/j.1750-3841.2011.02548.x |pmid=22250923}} Rambutan seeds contain equal proportions of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids, where arachidic (34%) and oleic (42%) acids, respectively, are the highest in fat content.{{Cite journal |vauthors=Manaf YN, Marikkar JM, Long K, Ghazali HM |year=2013 |title=Physico-chemical characterisation of the fat from red-skin rambutan (Nephellium lappaceum L.) seed |url=https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jos/62/6/62_335/_pdf |journal=Journal of Oleo Science |volume=62 |issue=6 |pages=335–343 |doi=10.5650/jos.62.335 |pmid=23728324 |doi-access=free}}

The pleasant fragrance of rambutan fruit derives from numerous volatile organic compounds, including beta-damascenone, vanillin, phenylacetic acid, and cinnamic acid.{{Cite journal |vauthors=Ong PK, Acree TE, Lavin EH |year=1998 |title=Characterization of Volatiles in Rambutan Fruit (Nephelium lappaceum L.) |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume=46 |issue=2 |pages=611–615 |doi=10.1021/jf970665t |pmid=10554286|bibcode=1998JAFC...46..611O }}

Aromatic rambutan flowers are highly attractive to many insects, especially bees. Flies (Diptera), bees (Hymenoptera), and ants (Solenopsis) are the main pollinators. Among the Diptera, Lucilia spp. are abundant, and among the Hymenoptera, honey bees (Apis dorsata and A. cerana) and the stingless bee genus Trigona are the major visitors. A. cerana colonies foraging on rambutan flowers produce large quantities of honey. Bees foraging for nectar routinely contact the stigma of female flowers and gather significant quantities of the sticky pollen from male blossoms. Little pollen has been seen on bees foraging female flowers. Although male flowers open at 06:00, foraging by A. cerana is most intense between 07:00 and 11:00, tapering off rather abruptly thereafter. In Thailand, A. cerana is the preferred species for small-scale pollination of rambutan. Its hair is also helpful in pollination where pollen can be hooked on and transported to female flowers.{{cite web | url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/339470470 | title=Pollination studies in rambutan Nephelium lappaceum in Soconusco Chiapas Mexico | website=ResearchGate | access-date=April 27, 2025}}

Well over 200 cultivars were developed from selected clones available throughout tropical Asia. Most of the cultivars are also selected for compact growth, reaching a height of only {{cvt|3|–|5|m|0}} for easier harvesting.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

Compared to propagated rambutan clones, rambutans taken from the wild have a higher acidity and potential for various food purposes.{{Cite journal |last1=Kong |first1=Fei Chai |last2=Mohd Adzahan |first2=Noranizan |last3=Karim |first3=Roselina |last4=Rukayadi |first4=Yaya |last5=Mohd Ghazali |first5=Hasanah |date=2018-07-31 |title=Selected Physicochemical Properties of Registered Clones and Wild Types Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) Fruits and Their Potentials in Food Products |journal=Sains Malaysiana |volume=47 |issue=7 |pages=1483–1490 |doi=10.17576/jsm-2018-4707-16 |issn=0126-6039 |doi-access=free}} In Indonesia, 22 rambutan cultivars were identified as good quality, with five as leading commercial cultivars: 'Binjai', 'Lebak Bulus', 'Rapiah', 'Cimacan' and 'Sinyonya', with other popular cultivars including 'Simacan', 'Silengkeng', 'Sikonto' and 'Aceh kuning'. In the Malay Peninsula, commercial varieties include 'Chooi Ang', 'Peng Thing Bee', 'Ya Tow', 'Azimat', and 'Ayer Mas'.

In Nicaragua, a joint World Relief–European Union team distributed seedlings to organizations such as Ascociación Pueblos en Acción Comunitaria in 2001 to more than 100 farmers.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} Some of these farmers saw the first production of rambutans from their trees in 2005–2006 with development directed at the local market.

In the Philippines, two cultivars of rambutans are distinguished by their seed.{{citation needed|date=July 2015}} The common rambutan seed and fruit are difficult to separate, while the 'Maharlika Rambutan' fruit separates cleanly from its seed. The fruit taste and size of these two cultivars are identical, but the 'Maharlika Rambutan' is more popular with a higher price.

The fruit of the rambutan tree may be eaten raw by removing the peel, eating the pulp, and discarding the seed. Rambutan is most often used in desserts, such as sorbets and puddings, but also in curries and savory dishes. The flavor is similar to lychee and pairs well with other tropical fruits.{{cn|date=July 2023}}

Rambutans are adapted to warm tropical climates, around {{cvt|22|–|30|°C}}, and are sensitive to temperatures below {{cvt|10|°C}}. It is grown commercially within 12–15° of the equator.{{Cite book |year=1994 |chapter=Third Regional Workshop on Tropical Fruits |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9zlkAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA85 |title=IICA's Contribution to the Agricultural Sector in Trinidad and Tobago During |publisher=Instituto Interamericano de Cooperación para la Agricultura |page=86 |issn=0253-4746}} The trees grow well at elevations up to {{convert|500|m|ft|abbr=on}} above sea level and do best in deep soil, clay loam, or sandy loam rich in organic matter. They grow on hilly terrain where there is good drainage.

Rambutans are propagated by grafting, air-layering, and budding. Budded trees may fruit after two to three years with optimum production occurring after eight to ten years. Trees grown from seed bear after five to six years.

The aril is attached to the seed in some commercial cultivars, but "freestone" cultivars are available and in high demand. Usually, a single light brown seed is found, which is high in certain fats and oils (primarily oleic acid and arachidic acid) valuable to industry, and used in cooking and the manufacture of soap. Rambutan roots, bark, and leaves have various uses in traditional medicine and in the production of dyes.

Image:Rambutan Before Ripening.jpg

{{Css Image Crop

|Image = HNEP8.jpg

|bSize = 272

|cWidth = 222

|cHeight = 172

|oLeft = 20

|oTop = 50

|Location = left

|Description = Rambutan cut open

}}

In some areas, rambutan trees can bear fruit twice annually, once in late fall and early winter, with a shorter season in late spring and early summer. Other areas, such as Costa Rica, have a single fruit season, with the start of the rainy season in April stimulating flowering, and the fruit is usually ripe in August and September. The fragile fruit must ripen on the tree, then they are harvested over a four- to seven-week period. The fresh fruit are easily bruised and have a limited shelf life. An average tree may produce 5,000–6,000 or more fruit ({{cvt|60|–|70|kg|round=5|disp=or}} per tree). Yields begin at {{convert|1.2|t/ha|ST/acre|abbr=off}} in young orchards and may reach {{convert|20|t/ha|ST/acre|abbr=off}} on mature trees. In Hawaii, {{convert|24|ha|acre}} of {{convert|38|ha|acre|adj=pre|cultivated}} were harvested producing {{convert|120|t|ST}} of fruit in 1997. Yields could be increased by improved orchard management, including pollination, and by planting high-yielding compact cultivars.

Most commercial cultivars are hermaphroditic; cultivars that produce only functionally female flowers require the presence of male trees. Male trees are seldom found, as vegetative selection has favored hermaphroditic clones that produce a high proportion of functionally female flowers and a much lower number of flowers that produce pollen. Over 3,000 greenish-white flowers occur in male panicles, each with five to seven anthers and a nonfunctional ovary. Male flowers have yellow nectaries and five to seven stamens. About 500 greenish-yellow flowers occur in each hermaphroditic panicle. Each flower has six anthers, usually a bilobed stigma, and one ovule in each of its two sections (locules). The flowers are receptive for about one day but may persist if pollinators are excluded.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

In Thailand, rambutan trees were first planted in Surat Thani in 1926 by the Chinese Malay K. Vong in Ban Na San. An annual rambutan fair is held during August harvest time.{{Cite book |last1=Agar |first1=Charles |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3wG5lM88rdAC&pg=PA158 |title=Frommer's Southeast Asia |last2=Eveland |first2=Jennifer |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2005 |isbn=978-0-7645-7829-8 |page=158 |access-date=18 September 2010}}

In Malaysia, rambutan flowers from March to July and again between June and November, usually in response to rain following a dry period. Flowering periods differ for other localities. Most, but not all, flowers open early in the day. Up to 100 flowers in each female panicle may be open each day during peak bloom. The initial fruit set may approach 25 percent, but a high abortion level contributes to a much lower level of production at harvest (1 to 3 percent). The fruit matures 15 to 18 weeks after flowering.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

Rambutan cultivation in Sri Lanka mainly consists of small home gardens. Malwana, a village in the Kelani River Valley, is popular for its rambutan orchards. Their production comes to market in May, June, and July when it is very common to observe seasonal traders along the streets of Colombo. Sri Lanka also has some off-season rambutan production in January and February in areas such as Bibile, Medagama, and Monaragala.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

Both male and female flowers are faintly sweet-scented and have functional nectaries at the ovary base. Female flowers produce two to three times more nectar than male flowers. Nectar sugar concentration ranges between 18–47 percent and is similar between the flower types. Rambutans are an important nectar source for bees in Malaysia.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

Cross-pollination is a necessity because the anther is absent in most functionally female flowers. Although apomixis may occur in some cultivars, rambutans, like lychee, are dependent upon insects for pollination. In Malaysia, where only about one percent of the female flowers set fruit, no fruit is set on bagged flowers while hand pollination resulted in a 13 percent fruit set. Pollinators may maintain fidelity to either male or hermaphroditic flowers (trees), thus limiting pollination and fruit set under natural conditions where crossing between male and female flowers is required.

File:PakJawa.jpg rambutan seller in Semarang, Indonesia]]

Rambutan is a fruit tree cultivated in humid tropical Southeast Asia.{{Cite magazine |last=Le Bellec |first=F. |date=June 2014 |title=Rambutan: The hairy cousin from the tropics |url=https://www.fruitrop.com/en/Articles-by-subject/Agronomy/2014/Rambutan |access-date=11 July 2019 |magazine=FruiTrop |publisher=CIRAD |pages=28–33 |issue=223}} It is a common garden fruit tree and propagated commercially in small orchards. It is one of the best-known fruits of Southeast Asia and is also widely cultivated elsewhere in the tropics including Africa, southern Mexico, the Caribbean islands, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Panama, India, Vietnam, Philippines, and Sri Lanka. It is also produced in Ecuador where it is known as achotillo, and on the island of Puerto Rico.

{{asof|2014}}, Thailand was the largest producer of rambutans ({{langx|th|เงาะ}}, {{RTGS|ngo}}), growing 450,000 tonnes, followed by Indonesia at 100,000 tonnes, and Malaysia, 60,000 tonnes. In Thailand, the major cultivation centers are Chanthaburi Province, followed by Chumphon Province and Surat Thani Province. In Indonesia, the production center of rambutan is in the western parts of Indonesia, which includes Java, Sumatra, and Kalimantan.{{Cite web |last=R. Poerwanto |title=Rambutan and Longan Production in Indonesia |url=http://www.actahort.org/books/665/665_9.htm |access-date=11 July 2015 |publisher=ISHS Acta Horticulturae 665: II International Symposium on Lychee, Longan, Rambutan and other Sapindaceae Plants}} In Java, the orchards and pekarangan (habitation yards) in the villages of Greater Jakarta and West Java have been known as rambutan production centers since the colonial era, with a trading center in Pasar Minggu, South Jakarta.{{cn|date=August 2024}}

During 2017 and years before, imports of rambutan to the European Union were about 1,000 tonnes annually, enabling a year-round supply from numerous tropical suppliers.{{Cite web |date=14 February 2019 |title=Exporting rambutan to Europe |url=https://www.cbi.eu/market-information/fresh-fruit-vegetables/rambutan |access-date=24 February 2021 |publisher=Centre for the Promotion of Imports, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs}}

The fruits are usually sold fresh and have a short shelf-life, and are commonly used in making jams and jellies, or canned. Evergreen rambutan trees with their abundant colored fruit make attractive landscape specimens.

In India, rambutan is imported from Thailand,{{Cite news |last=Shantanu Nandan Sharma |date=2006-05-07 |title=Thailand wants to export Rambutan, longan to India |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2006-05-07/news/27460444_1_thailand-exports-india-and-thailand-export-value |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724175510/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2006-05-07/news/27460444_1_thailand-exports-india-and-thailand-export-value |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 24, 2014 |access-date=8 June 2012 |work=The Economic Times}} as well as grown in the Pathanamthitta District of the southern state of Kerala.{{Cite news |last=Kuttoor |first=Radhakrishnan |date=28 June 2009 |title=Farmers taking to Rambutan cultivation |url=http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/28/stories/2009062850460200.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524060315/http://www.hindu.com/2009/06/28/stories/2009062850460200.htm |archive-date=24 May 2012 |access-date=8 June 2012 |work=The Hindu}}

Rambutans are not climacteric fruit—that is, they ripen only on the tree and appear not to produce a ripening agent, such as the plant hormone ethylene, after being harvested. However, at post-harvest, the quality of the fruit is affected by storage factors. Low humidity levels, storage time, and incidences of mechanical damage can severely affect the quality of the fruit which would negatively affect the demand for such.{{Cite journal |last1=Landrigan |first1=M. |last2=Morris |first2=S.C. |last3=Gibb |first3=K.S. |date=June 1996 |title=Relative Humidity Influences Postharvest Browning in Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.) |journal=HortScience |volume=31 |issue=3 |pages=417–418 |doi=10.21273/hortsci.31.3.417 |issn=0018-5345 |doi-access=free}} In general, the fruit has a short shelf life in ambient conditions but implementing methods that can extend such is a productional advantage. Certain treatments like irradiation and the use of hot-forced air can help in fruit preservation although the former has seen more success.{{Cite journal |last1=Follett |first1=Peter A. |last2=Sanxter |first2=Suzanne S. |date=December 2000 |title=Comparison of Rambutan Quality after Hot Forced-air and Irradiation Quarantine Treatments |journal=HortScience |volume=35 |issue=7 |pages=1315–1318 |doi=10.21273/hortsci.35.7.1315 |issn=0018-5345 |doi-access=free}}

The center of genetic diversity for rambutans is the Indonesian region. They have been widely cultivated in Southeast Asian areas, such as Malaysia, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines.{{Cite journal |last1=Windarsih |first1=G. |last2=Muhammad |first2=E. |year=2019 |title=Morphological characteristics of flower and fruit in several rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) cultivars in Serang City, Banten, Indonesia |url=https://smujo.id/biodiv/article/view/3857/3211 |journal=Biodiversitas Journal of Biological Diversity |volume=20 |doi=10.13057/biodiv/d200537 |doi-access=free |number=5}}{{Cite book |last=Tindall |first=H. D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ag-1Fzs0bxMC |title=Rambutan Cultivation |date=1 January 1994 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization |isbn=978-92-5-103325-8}} It has spread from there to parts of Asia, Africa, Oceania, and Central America.{{Cite book |last1=Paull |first1=Robert E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JukGd1c_ttYC |title=Tropical Fruits |last2=Duarte |first2=Odilo |publisher=CABI |year=2012 |isbn=978-1-84593-789-8}}

File:Rambutan Muda.jpg|Young rambutan fruit in Malaysia

File:RambutanKuning.jpg|Ripe yellow rambutan fruit in Malaysia

File:LakeSampalocjf7542 08.JPG|Unripe rambutan fruits in the Philippines

File:Rambutan Binjai Pasar Baru Jakarta.JPG|'Rambutan Binjai', one of the leading cultivars in Indonesia

File:Three rambutan colors.jpg|Three colors of rambutan

• List of culinary fruits
• Pomology
• Pulasan

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons|Nephelium lappaceum}}

{{Wikispecies|Nephelium lappaceum}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q476864}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Edible fruits

Category:Fruits originating in Asia

Category:Medicinal plants

Category:Trees of Thailand

Category:Trees of Malesia

Category:Tropical fruit

Category:Nephelium

Category:Fruit trees

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus