Funky Fruits

One thing that many of the people who visit Southeast Asia aren't familiar with is the fruit native to the region. I have come to enjoy some of these "strange" fruits quite a bit. There is the sweet and soft dragonfruit, the sour pomegranate and the earthy, rubbery jackfruit. These fruits are sold on the street everywhere from Bangkok to Sai Gon to Kuala Lumpur.
But, perhaps my favorite family of tropical fruit is the small, round trio of sweetness known to many as the rambutan, the litchi, and the longan. (For those of you down with tree species thing, all three are part of the family Sapindaceae). You may also be familiar with this group if you spent any time in Central America.
Rambutan (pictured above) has a spiky-looking exterior. The feel of this shell is something like holding one of those spiky, squishy rubber balls that kids and dogs sometimes play with. After making and incision in the shell with a knife or fingernail, it can be peeled away easily, revealing a fleshy, white orb. Some people pop the whole thing in their mouth, sucking the flesh from the large pit. Others bite more daintily, taking several passes to gnaw the edible part away from the pit. I usually followed the former method, although the hardness of the pit can be a danger to your teeth, and the pit is just big enough to cause some discomfort to your airways if swallowed. Still, the wet, almost candy-like taste makes any risks worth it.
Longan and litchi are quite a bit juicier than their larger cousin. These bit sized fruits, the size of a grape when unpeeled, lack rambutan's spiky exterior. Instead they have a flat, leathery skin with litchi's being a little rougher. When punctured, a bit of juice escapes from inside. For this reason, some people use a tooth to begin the peeling process. Whether or not you do so is up to your definition of what is sanitary. Inside, the fruit, a similar texture to rambutan, is surrounded by its juices. It's necessary to suck it into your mouth at one time. It is a little easier to relieve the flesh from its pit than rambutan, although a little care needs to be taken because of the pits hardness. Even if this method is performed with great care, your fingers will probably become sticky from the excess juices.
I find longan to contain the most juice, while litchi has and almost overwhelming sweetness. Both are perfect, especially on a hot, humid day in the tropics.