Ram-bu-what? Yes, rambutans. A fruit sort of similar to lychee nuts with a pliable outer skin that has really ugly looking hairy but soft spikes. (Rambutan means “hairy” in Malay!) I discovered it on my travels in Asia. I loved it for its delicate, floral flavor and silky, melon-like texture, but also because it came in its own very safe package.
That hairy, outer shell is thick, and so keeps out ugly bacteria that can poison a foreigner on her travels. But as long as your hands are clean when you open that little baby, there’s no way you’re getting sick. I used to keep hoards of them in my backpack, and they made the greatest little snack on the train, in the morning before breakfast, whenever. These were grown in Honduras. Welcome, rambutan!
