Rambutan: how to eat it and what are the beneficial properties of the fruit?

Rambutan is a rather exotic fruit. What is only one name worth! If you still do not know what it is, be sure to read the information below. After all, acquaintance with this exotic can be very useful.

Rambutan - what kind of fruit is it and what does it look like?

The fruit has a very specific appearance. It is somewhat similar to a walnut, but not smooth, but covered with hairs that extend in different directions. But inside it has a tender and juicy pulp and bone no more than two centimeters in size.

The hairs are usually stiff, the skin is red or white. The most common fruit in Asian countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia. It grows on a tree, which can reach 25 meters in height.

What taste and smell does it have

Want to know what rambutan tastes like before you get a treat in the store? It can be very sweet or with some sourness.

The taste of the ripe fruit will vary depending on the variety.

Until it is cut, the rambutan fruit does not emit any smell, but as soon as you open it, you will feel an aroma somewhat reminiscent of blue grapes.

The chemical composition and caloric content of rambutan

In addition to the unusual and vibrant appearance, the fetus boasts one more of its advantages - a large number of nutrients.

• It contains vitamins of group B.
• Vitamin A is also present in the pulp of the fruit, which has a positive effect on vision and skin condition.
• A large amount of vitamin C found in exotic fruits protects against colds. Only 100 grams of pulp already contains seven percent of the daily rate of ascorbic acid.

There are a lot of mineral substances in it: sodium, magnesium, iron, potassium, phosphorus and manganese are present in excess of rambutan pulp.

This fruit is not as high-calorie as a banana, but it can not be compared with an apple. There are already 82 calories in 100 grams of edible portion. And most of all in the fruit of water and carbohydrates - 18 grams. Proteins and fats are practically absent - less than 0.5 grams for every hundred grams.

Rambutan: beneficial properties and contraindications

It is believed that the beneficial properties of rambutan are better preserved if you buy it directly on the branches.

Residents of Thailand are sure that at least five fruits should be consumed per day, which will almost completely eliminate the risk of cancer.

But this is not the only advantage of the fruit:

• Raw fruit is used to treat diarrhea and dysentery.
• A large number of vitamins has a positive effect on the body, protects against colds.
• Leaves, bark and roots are used in folk medicine.
• The pulp of the fetus soothes the intestines. Daily use leads to normal digestion.
• Also, the regular presence of rambutan in the menu helps to lower the pressure.
• In some countries, this fruit is considered an anthelmintic, destroying other parasites in the body.
• People who ate the fruit for two weeks noticed a significant improvement in their skin condition.
• The phosphorus contained in the pulp improves the functioning of the kidneys and cleans them.
• Do not give up rambutan and those who want to lose weight.

There are no contraindications to the use of fruit. Unless the digestive tract, which has been used to it, which has never received such food, can react unexpectedly, for example, with diarrhea or pain.

Allergies are also possible. To exclude it, you need to try a small piece of exotic fruit and wait a while.

Application in traditional medicine

In folk medicine, the fruit peel is used predominantly. But first they process it in a special way.

• The skin is chopped into small pieces.
• It is laid out in a container with boiling water.
• As soon as half the liquid has evaporated, pieces of the peel are removed and squeezed into another clean bowl.

What happened is used as a healing drink.

You can also drink a decoction. For its manufacture, not only the peel is used, but also the roots, shoots and leaves. It is useful for lactating women, as it stimulates lactation. In addition, it relieves headaches and helps to heal wounds faster. Rinsing the mouth with this tool will relieve abscesses, stomatitis and inflammation of the gums. It is recommended to take it twice a day.

Criteria for the selection of ripe rambutan

It is very difficult to choose a fresh and ripe fruit on our shelves. But if you set a goal, then everything will turn out. The main thing is to pay attention to some nuances.

• To understand whether a fruit is fresh, be sure to look at its color. It should be bright red, saturated with slightly greenish, but very elastic hairs.
• If you have a soft fruit, its skin is dull, even slightly wrinkled, and the hairs are completely wilted or fallen, and even yellow, then feel free to refuse the purchase. All these signs indicate that rambutan is not fresh.

It is best to enjoy this fruit in the country where it is sold.

Since in a couple of days it begins to deteriorate and it is very difficult to transport it to our countries in its original form. You can store rambutan in the refrigerator, where it will "last" for about a week.

How to clean and eat fruit

You still got such a curiosity, and now look at it and think about how rambutan is and how to free it from the skin? First of all, carefully inspect the fruit. It has a natural seam that divides it in half. In this area, pull the skin in different directions, so that the halves are separated, but at the same time remain in the hands. So you can easily open it and be able to feast on juicy pulp.

You can use a knife. To do this, make a cut on the skin along the entire circumference, but do not cut it completely. Pull and remove it - you will have flesh left, which you can bite off or immediately eat all.

Please note that the bone is not recommended to eat, it is quite bitter, and indeed not edible.

If you visited an Asian country where rambutan grows, and do not want to bother with cleaning it at all, then you can search for fruits that have already been peeled. But do not forget that this way the fruit deteriorates faster, inferior to the uncleaned one in usefulness and, possibly, even in taste.

Rambutan is very interesting. You can prepare various dishes from it, for example, boil jam, syrup, sauce and even make ice cream. A fruit bone is used to make oils, soaps and scented candles.