Rambutan

Rambutan is one of the many new tropical fruits Gavin and I have been enjoying.  It is related to Lychee and is a tasty treat on a hot day.  It looks almost like a chestnut, except the shell is soft, and can easily be peeled.  The color varies from yellow to red and the spikes are like soft hairs.  Using your hands or teeth, you can remove part of the shell and pop out the fruit inside.  The fruit looks like a grape and has a similar texture.  The first time we ate rambutan was in front of the hotel we spent our first week in.  We were returning from a night out and some of the bell boys had a bunch of rambutan and offered some to us.  We sat on little plastic stools and each had several, throwing the shell on the ground, enjoying the fruit and spitting out the small seed in the middle.  Bunches are sold as street food around the city or in the super market.  Gavin may actually be addicted to these.