Rambutan Production

It is a popular 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, Cambodia, the Caribbean islands, Central America, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka. Thailand is the largest producer from Surat Thani Province Thailand. Rambutan production is increasing in Australia and, in 1997, was one of the top three tropical fruits produced in Hawaii. It is also produced in Ecuador where it is known as achotillo.

The fruit are usually sold fresh, used in making jams and jellies, or canned. Evergreen rambutan trees with their abundant coloured fruit make beautiful landscape specimens.

Rambutan Quality

Rambutan found in markets that is harvested as picked from their stems , is commonly ridden with insects, prone to rot, and of relatively low viability per bunch sold, especially compared to other fruits.

The best quality rambutan is generally that which is harvested still attached to the branch . This rambutan is less susceptible to rot, damage, and pests, and remains fresh for a much longer time than rambutan that has been picked from the branch.

Rambutan that is sold on a full branch is of much higher quality, maintains its true flavor, and is better fit for consumption than that which is sold as individually picked fruits.

Another indicator of quality is the ease of detachment of the flesh from the seed. An easily detachable flesh normally will have bits of the woody seed coating. Thus, it is a common Malay wisdom to not eat too much rambutan when one has a cough.