Rambutan is an unusual looking tropical fruit from Southeast Asia.
In fact, the literal translation of the Indonesian name ‘rambutan’ is ‘hair’.
Some people (like Oprah) have recently given the fruit so-called ‘superfood’ status, but is it really worth including in your diet?
This tag of ‘superfood’ is given way too easily to various foods, and it is usually related to marketing.
Therefore, this article takes an evidence-based look at rambutan.
We will cover the nutrition profile, purported health benefits, drawbacks, and all the need-to-know information.
What is Rambutan?
Rambutan is a small, round tropical fruit that is native to Indonesia, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian regions.
Although rambutan comes from the Southeast Asian region, it now grows in hot climates throughout the world.
Growers can be found anywhere from Africa to Central America and Oceania, providing the location offers the tropical climate that the fruit needs to thrive.
It is a typical, everyday food in its homeland, and at home, it has a similar prevalence to apples in the West.
The fruit grows on a tree going by the same name ‘rambutan,’ and the species is part of the sapindaceae family.
Otherwise known as ‘soapberry’, other close relatives in this family include the tropical fruits lychee and longan (1).
There isn’t a significant difference in flavor between rambutan, lychee, and longan, but rambutan tends to be slightly juicier and sweeter.
Appearance
Regarding appearance, a bright red skin surrounds the fruit. The skin is full of small green spikes/hairs that make the fruit look hairy.
Once you peel the skin, the fruit inside looks like a smooth and moist white ball. For lack of a better comparison, it looks a little bit like a cross between a pickled onion and an egg.
Inside the fruity flesh there is a large seed that is slightly toxic to humans in its raw state, so don’t eat it (2, 3).
Here are the nutritional values for rambutan fruit per 100 grams. Firstly, the calorie and macronutrient details (4); The table below shows the vitamin and mineral content per 100 g (5); As we can see, rambutan fruit contains a decent range of micronutrients. However, the only nutrient of any real significance is vitamin C (ascorbic acid), which accounts for two-thirds of the RDA per 100 grams. As a result, rambutan could be a good choice for those who enjoy fruit and want to increase their vitamin C intake. Like all fruit, the health benefits are mostly down to the vitamin C content. It is also possible that the polyphenol content may boost the functioning of several biological processes. Be wary of marketing-focused articles exaggerating the benefits of the fruit though. For example; 2.8 g of fiber doesn’t mean rambutan “may prevent heart disease,” and nor are the tiny quantities of most vitamins worth shouting about. As previously mentioned, the vitamin C content of rambutan is very high, and the fruit provides approximately 66% of the RDA per 100 grams (5). Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for human health, and it plays a number of key roles within our body. Higher amounts of vitamin C are especially important if you eat a higher carbohydrate diet since vitamin C and glucose compete for cell uptake (6, 7). Some important roles of vitamin C include; Rambutan provides around 10% of the RDA for Manganese per 100 g (5). Manganese is another essential mineral that we need to consume from our diet, and it plays an active role in several biological processes. It also acts as an ‘activator’ of various enzymes, and these compounds are dependent on a sufficient supply of manganese (11); Although it is great that rambutan contains some manganese, it is worth noting that other foods provide far higher amounts. For instance, cocoa provides 189% of the manganese RDA per 100 grams. This means that even a tablespoon of cocoa supplies double the amount in 100 grams of rambutan fruit (12). The claim that rambutan has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial benefits is quite common. Just a quick Google search brings up hundreds of results. Firstly, this is technically true. In clinical studies, various compounds within rambutan have shown antibacterial activity against pathogens (13). However, the compounds that are responsible for this effect are an extract from the fruit’s peel (which we can’t eat). In other words, this benefit may have some future use in medicine, but you won’t get it from simply eating the fruit. Gallic acid is associated with several health benefits, and it is part of the phenolic acid class of polyphenols (14). Perhaps the most famous source of gallic acid is green tea, and the compound is believed to have cardio-protective properties (15). However, yet again, these claims are a little misleading because the vast majority of gallic acid is located in the rambutan peel (16). Furthermore, studies that show benefit use highly concentrated extracts from the peel, and such levels of polyphenols are not found in the flesh. Providing you don’t eat the (slightly toxic) seed, there are no hugely negative points about this tropical fruit. Interestingly, compared to other tropical fruits, rambutan is relatively low in fructose/fruit sugars. Once the fiber is taken into account, rambutan provides around 13 grams of net (digestible) carbs. Per 100 grams, here is how that amount of net carbohydrate compares to other fruits (5, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23); As shown above, rambutan isn’t one of the highest carb fruits, but nor is it one of the lowest. There is no problem with fruit sugar in sensible amounts for most people (i.e. a portion or two of fruit per day). However, for those following a very low carb diet for a health condition, this fruit may be a bit too high in carbs. When someone first gets given a prickly rambutan fruit, they could be forgiven for wondering how they are supposed to eat it. Despite the thick and spiky exterior, it is fairly straightforward to eat. If you have ever tried lychee before, then you will have some idea of what a rambutan tastes like. Although the two tropical fruits do have a similar flavor, rambutan is richer, sweeter, and juicier. If you have never tried either, then perhaps the taste could be described as sweet and creamy, with a very slight sour note from the citric and malic acid content. The fruit also has a kind of flowery aroma. As is the case with many tropical fruits, rambutan has good hydration properties due to very high water content. To be precise, the fruit is 82.1% water. Depending on where you live, you may be able to find fresh imported rambutan in your local grocery store/supermarket. If not, they come in canned form which most markets will stock. Fresh options are also available online here. Overall, rambutan is a reasonably decent fruit option that offers a wealth of vitamin C. It is also quite refreshing and has an enjoyable taste. However, there is a lot of exaggeration taking place in regard to the fruit’s health benefits. If you enjoy fruit and like this one, then that’s great, but eat it for enjoyment/vitamin C rather than the ‘superfood’ claims. There is no such thing as a superfood, and rambutan certainly isn’t one either. Want to read more on tropical fruit? See this complete guide to star fruit. Or take a look at the world’s largest fruit – jackfruit.Nutrition Facts
Vitamin and Mineral Profile
Nutrient
Amount (Grams / % RDA)
Vitamin C
66 %
Manganese
10 %
Copper
9 %
Potassium
5 %
Magnesium
4 %
Vitamin B2
4 %
Vitamin B3
4 %
Iron
3 %
Phosphorus
2 %
Calcium
1 %
Vitamin B1
1 %
Zinc
1 %
Health Benefits of Rambutan
1. Rambutan is Rich in Vitamin C
2. Rambutan Provides a Decent Amount of Manganese
3. There Are Claims That Rambutan Has Anti-bacterial Properties
4. Rambutan Provides a Polyphenol Called Gallic Acid
Rambutan Drawbacks
Fruit Sugars
How To Eat Rambutan
What Does Rambutan Taste Like?
Where Can You Find Rambutan?
Final Thoughts
Excellent information
Thanks, Thomas!
If the rambutan is brown? Is I still good?
Do you mean on the inside? If it has gone brown, I would avoid it.
How can one tell if the fruit is ripe?
The fruit starts out green, and it starts turning red as it ripens. When it’s mainly red with some green spikes, it should be about right.
I tried for the first time today and I was pleasantly surprised. It is like a grape and some unknown tropical fruit had a baby. It was very refreshing and I would definitely eat it again. It was great!
That’s an interesting way to describe it. Kind of accurate though!