RAMBUTAn

The rambutan(Nephelium lappaceum) is a

medium-sized tropical tree in the
family Sapindaceae. The fruit produced by the tree
is also known as rambutan. Rambutan is native
to Indonesia and Malaysia. It is closely related to
several other edible tropical fruits including
the lychee and longan. It is native to the Indonesian
Archipelago. The leathery skin is reddish (rarely
orange or yellow), and covered with fleshy spines.
The fruit flesh is translucent, whitish or very pale
pink, with a sweet, mildly acidic flavor. The name
'rambutan' is derived from the Malay language word
for rambut or "hair", together with the noun-

building suffix -an. In Indonesia, 22 rambutan

cultivars are identified with good quality. Five of
them are leading cultivars: 'Rambutan Rapiah',
'Rambutan Aceh Lebak Bulus', 'Rambutan Cimacan',
'Rambutan Binjai', and 'Rambutan Sinyonya'.