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Red, juicy, sweet and vitamin-rich

The rambutan is a fleshy fruit that is sweet and has Vitamin C and B

SWEET AND TANGY Rambutan

They are red, hairy and tasty. Seen them lately at some fruit vendor's? The rambutan is a close cousin of the litchi fruit. It's eaten after tearing the rind open, or cutting it around the middle and pulling it apart. The rind does not cling to the flesh and the flesh is pearly white, juicy, sweet with a sub-acid flavour. There is a single seed inside.

Popular fruit

The rambutan is native to Malaysia and is commonly cultivated throughout the archipelago and India. The rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) is an evergreen tropical tree which reaches a height of 50 to 80 feet and has a straight trunk, with a dense spreading crown. By nature, the rambutan has both male and female trees and only female trees bear fruits. It grows best on deep, clay-loam or sandy loam rich in organic matter with proper drainage.

The rambutan is usually propagated by seeds. The seeds taken from the fruit, after thorough washing, may be planted horizontally with the flattened side downward so that the seedling grows straight and has a normal, strong root system. Seeds will germinate in nine to 25 days, the earlier the planting, the more vigorous its germination.

Rambutan trees bear fruits in five-six years, but the ratio of female to male trees is 5 : 7. Male trees are eliminated once they bear flowers. Vegetative propagation by layering or grafting is rarely practised as such plants die long before separation from the mother tree. Mulching and irrigation are given as needed in the dry season. Light pruning is done only to improve the form of the tree and strengthen it.

In India, flowering occurs from late March to early May and the fruits mature from June to October.

Generally, shoots that bear fruits in one year will put out new growth and will bloom and bear fruit the next year. In other words, biennial bearing is rare in Rambutan.

While harvesting, the entire fruit cluster must be cut from the branch. If single fruits are picked, they should be snapped off with a piece of the stem attached, so as not to rupture the rind.

Fruits must be handled carefully to avoid bruising and crushing, and kept dry . The peeled fruits are occasionally stewed as dessert.

Fresh rambutans contain a substantial amount of Vitamin C and B, minerals like calcium, iron and phosphorus and fibre. The colourful fruits are frequently used in displays with flower and fruit arrangements.

Medicinally the fruit is astringent. Itis taken to relieve diarrhoea and dysentery. In Malaysia the dried fruit rind is sold in drugstores and used in local medicine.

JACOB VARGHESE

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