rambutan
/ramˈb(j)uːt(ə)n/
Well, that’s in case you were wondering how on earth you should pronounce it. Ram-bu-tan. Never heard of it, never seen it, and this thing appears like right out of Spielberg’s War of The Worlds.
Or maybe Cowboys and Aliens. Anyway, it tastes good. Does great for your body. So let’s chuck the trivialities and head straight to the point – rambutan is gonna be amazing for you. Go ahead and read (and eat it).
Table Of Contents
What Is A Rambutan?
It is a medium-sized tropical tree and belongs to the family Sapindaceae. Scientifically called Nephelium lappaceum, the name rambutan also refers to the delicious fruit (which we are going to talk about) this tree produces. It is native to the Malay-Indonesian region and certain other regions of Southeast Asia.
Also spelled rambotan, ramboutan, rambustan, and ramboetan, the fruit is closely related to other tropical fruits like the lychee, longan, and mamoncillo. In fact, in the native language, rambut means hair. This is with reference to the numerous hairy protrusions of the fruit. In Vietnamese, the fruit is called chom chom (which means messy hair), referring to the spines covering its skin.
That’s a little about this seemingly mysterious fruit. But wait, why are we even talking about it?
What Is Rambutan Good For?
Though the fruit is small, it contains a considerable amount of vitamin C – a nutrient that boosts immunity and flushes toxins out of your body.
Rambutan contains copper as well, another mineral that works in tandem with iron to improve the health of your blood vessels and blood cells (as it is also a good source of iron).
There are several other benefits, which we have saved for later. But before that, how about taking a peek into the history of rambutan?
Like we saw, rambutan is native to Malaysia and Indonesia. This is where the widest cultivars of the fruit are found. Around the 14th century, the Arab traders introduced rambutan to East Africa. And in the 19th century, the Dutch introduced this fruit to South America. In 1912, the fruit traveled from Indonesia to the Philippines.
We don’t want to delve too deep into the history and keep you waiting. So let’s get to the benefits. But just before that, how about taking a look at the nutrients this wonder fruit contains?
What Is The Nutritional Profile Of Rambutan?
A hundred grams of rambutan contain about 84 calories. And a serving of the fruit has just 0.1 gram of fat. It also has 0.9 gram of protein. And 100 grams of this fruit also contain 40 percent of the vitamin C you require daily and about 28 percent of iron.
