What is rambutan? This is an exotic fruit, widely known in eastern countries. For us, its name is not quite familiar. However, this fruit is popular in a number of countries because of its juiciness and wonderful taste.
Where does rambutan grow?
Starting a conversation about what rambutan is, I would like to note that this is a tree from the sapinda family. It grows in a tropical climate. Trees of this species are quite actively grown in Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, as well as in Southeast Asia. But at the same time, in every country culture has its own name. In addition, rambutan is still popular in Australia, Africa, the Caribbean and Central America. However, the largest rambutan plantations are in India, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and Indonesia.
What do the fruits look like?
Speaking about what rambutan is, it should be noted that the fruits of the tree are of the greatest interest. They are the size of hazelnuts, while collected in clusters (up to thirty pieces). The rambutan bone located inside the fetus is not at all attractive. It resembles an acorn to taste.
The indigenous people of Thailand love rambutan and tell many beautiful legends about it. And in August, a holiday dedicated to this unusual tree is held annually. Although outwardly it is completely unattractive. Due to the existence of a large number of varieties, it is even difficult to describe it. The tree is usually stunted, but there are both evergreen and deciduous forms. The fruits themselves may take the form of berries or fruits. Outside they are covered with a prickly skin, under which on the bone there is juicy pulp.
The peel of the fruit can be red, yellow or red-yellow, and even burgundy. Outwardly, the fruits are similar to our chestnuts, only have a different color. To try a delicious fruit, you need to remove the spiny shell and get a white gelatinous flesh.
In addition, rambutan is a fruit (the photo is given in the article) is very useful, it contains iron, protein, carbohydrates, nicotinic acid, vitamin C, phosphorus.
Because of the thorny shell, rambutan is sometimes called a “hairy”. When purchasing such a fruit, first of all, you need to pay attention to its color. Connoisseurs believe that they should have a rich red color, and the tips of the thorns themselves should be green. Rambutan is a perishable fruit; it can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than seven days.
Legends of rambutan
It is generally accepted that rambutan is a Malaysian fruit, since the name of the tree comes from the Malaysian word, which means “hair” in translation. In the countries of South Asia, it began to be cultivated many centuries ago. Gradually, he gained universal love. Glory came to him in the eighteenth century, when King Rama II himself devoted an entire ode to this wonderful fruit.
Around the rambutan there always reigned a certain areola of mystery. More than one beautiful legend has been built about him. In particular, one of them tells about a prince who wore a terrible mask of rambutan, and after the wedding he turned into a real handsome man, thanks to the fact that the princess fell in love with him for a beautiful soul.
Another, no less beautiful legend tells of how rambutan found himself in Thailand. The Malaysian prospector, who mined tin, moved to Thailand and settled in the south of the country. He took with him five trees of rambutan. He planted seedlings in a new place, when they first yielded fruits, some of the fruits were yellow and some were red. They differed in taste. Some were bitter, while others were sweet. And only one tree bore fruit with spiny red fruits, inside of which there was an incredibly juicy white pulp. After some time, the prospector returned to his homeland, and after him there remained a whole garden of unusual rambutan trees. Over time, the grove was acquired by the Ministry of Education. A school was later built in the same places, and trees began to be called school rambutans. The king himself is the patron saint of an unusual tree, not to mention the popular love of fruit.
It is worth noting that it was the support of the king that made rambutan currently one of the most popular fruits in the whole country. A crop worth about $ 12 million is harvested annually. Also, every year in August, people celebrate a holiday dedicated to school rambutan, rejoicing at the luck brought by the first five trees. Here is such an unusual story has a miracle fruit.
The beneficial properties of an exotic fruit
Speaking about what rambutan is, one should certainly remember those useful substances that it contains. These are vitamins B1, C, B2, proteins, carbohydrates, protein. And of the minerals it contains iron, phosphorus, calcium and nicotinic acid. Also in small quantities in the fruit is nitrogen, magnesium, ash, sodium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc and manganese.
Rambutan, whose properties are difficult to overestimate, is very useful for digestion thanks to valuable fibers. Of interest is rambutan oil, which is contained in the bone of the fetus more than forty percent. It also contains arachidonic and oleic acids. If you heat rambutan bone oil, it gives off a very pleasant aroma. That is why it is used for the preparation of soap and other cosmetic products, as well as holiday scented candles.
The taste of the fruit
Rambutan is very useful for the body, it improves the digestion process and has beneficial effects on the skin. In Thailand, they believe that the fruit helps sick, weakened people, because it has nourishing and cleansing properties.
Rambutan, lychees are somewhat similar in taste. They are replaced by each other in cooking. Rambutan can be eaten not only fresh, but also canned. Often it is used as one of the ingredients for making salad. Local residents make sauces, jams, compotes from fruits, which they then use to make pies, etc. In addition, rambutan gives a special taste to chicken, fish and meat.
But the leaves, roots and bark of rambutan are widely used in folk medicine, as well as in the manufacture of paints for fabrics. In Malaya, dried fruit peels are sold in all pharmacies as a remedy.
The healing properties of the fetus
In its raw form, the fruits are used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. Fragrant pulp calms the inflamed intestines well, stopping the process of improper digestion of food. However, if the taste of this fruit is unfamiliar to the stomach, then it is dangerous to use it to treat intestinal problems, it is not known how the body will respond to the new fetus.
In many countries, rambutan is used as an anthelmintic to help get rid of parasites. This fruit, without harming the body, destroys helminths.
The leaves of the tree are used to prepare poultices for headaches. The effect of the method has not yet been studied, but the Thais willingly use it. In Malaysia, the peel is used for the manufacture of various medicines. It is dried and stored until a new crop. A decoction of the roots of the tree I use for fever. Tinctures are also prepared from the bark, which help with diseases of the oral cavity (stomatitis, abscesses). Such a decoction is even recommended for use by young mothers who recover after childbirth. Local residents claim that eating five fruits every day can reduce the risk of cancer. Rambutan effectively lowers blood pressure.
Contraindications of fruit consumption
The first acquaintance with a new exotic fruit always begins with a small amount, since it is not known how the body will react to it. The stomach and intestines of each person have an individual sensitivity. In addition, an allergic reaction is possible. Otherwise, there are no contraindications to the use of fruit.
Rambutan on the windowsill
Exotic lovers will be interested to know that it is possible to grow rambutan at home from seed. This method is the simplest and most effective. If you create proper care for the plant, then you can get the fruits.
To get seed, you need to get a seed from a ripe fruit and dry it well. Then it should be placed in a damp cloth, and put the container with it in a warm place. A seed should be sprouted. To do this, moisturize it daily. In a few weeks it should germinate. Then the sprout can be planted in a pot with a mixture.
A drainage layer is put at the bottom, the nutrient mixture is poured on top. The seed is deepened and covered with earth. On top of the pot is covered with polyethylene to create a greenhouse effect, and cleaned in a warm, bright place. Water the plant as the soil dries. Shoots should appear in a couple of weeks. And after a few months, the sprout will reach four centimeters. When the plant grows, it can be transplanted into a larger pot. The sprout should not be planted in open ground, since this culture is heat-loving. In the middle latitudes, rambutan is grown either at home or in greenhouses.
Care Features
Tree cuttings brought from tropical countries practically do not take root with us, so growing a plant from seed is the most acceptable option. If you do not have the opportunity to bring ripe fruit from the same Thailand and take seed from it, then you can choose a ripe fruit in the store and try to sprout its seed.
It must be remembered that germination is quickly lost, so the fruit should be cut immediately before planting. To increase the likelihood of germination, you can soak the seed in a growth stimulator.
Water the plant once every three days. He needs to provide the maximum amount of sunlight, but without direct rays. To maintain humidity, you need to spray the plant, because it has a tropical climate with high humidity. The plant does not require any special conditions, so careful care for it is not necessary.
