What Is the Different Between Rambutan and Lychee?

Have you ever gone grocery shopping and stumbled across fruits and veggies you’ve never seen before? Such a fantastic method to acquire ideas for your next dinner or learn about an exotic fruit or unusual veggie you’ve never eaten before!

Rambutans and lychees are two such fruits that, although popular in certain cuisines and regions of the world, are relatively unknown in others. Whether you’ve had the pleasure of tasting one (or both!) of these incredible fruits or have yet to discover the distinct tastes of rambutans and lychees, let this page serve as your guide to all things rambutan vs. lychee!

What is a Rambutan?

A rambutan is a kind of tropical fruit that grows in bunches on the rambutan tree, Nephelium lappaceum. The rambutan, which was originally endemic to tropical southern Asia, is now planted across the area and is a favorite dish in Indonesia, southern Thailand, Australia, and Central America.

What Does a Rambutan Look Like?

Rambutan fruits resemble something out of a science fiction film rather than an edible fruit. Each rambutan fruit is about the size of a golf ball, with a dark red exterior shell covered with stubby strands that seem like coarse hairs. The hairs are not at all spiky, but rather soft and brightly colored in neon green, blazing orange, or red.

Based on this description, you’re unlikely to be shocked that the outside shell is utterly inedibleit’s what’s within that we’re interested non! The shell is peeled away to expose a light, almost iridescent fruit that ranges in hue from off white to pink. This core component of the fruit is called as an aril, a phrase you may be familiar with from another, more common fruit, the pomegranate.

What Does a Rambutan Taste Like?

Rambutan has a creamy texture and a sweet flavor with a little acidity. Rambutans’ taste has been compared to that of another exotic fruit, the dragon fruit, and they have a similar texture.

Where to Buy Rambutans

Rambutan fruits may be found in the vegetable section of most Asian grocery shops or specialized markets. If you can’t locate fresh rambutans, look in the canned goods department or explore the internet for online merchants! Several firms produce canned rambutans (say that five times fast), which are generally preserved in syrup in a manner similar to canned peaches or pears.

How to Peel Rambutan Fruit

Making a cut all the way around the perimeter of the deep red outer skin, as if you were following an equator, is the ideal technique to peel rambutan. Be cautious not to cut too deeply or you will damage the fruit; the goal is to only remove the outer peel. After slicing the shell, the halves should readily separate from the fruit flesh.

Ripe rambutan is the simplest to peel, with the fruit simply springing away from the shell, however underripe rambutan may provide a struggle. You may eat rambutan whole, but be sure to avoid the large seed in the center!

What is a Lychee Fruit?

The lychee fruit is produced by another tropical tree, Litchi chinensis. These trees, sometimes known as evergreen lychee trees, are native to the subtropical areas of southern China, but their range has spread and they are now found across India. Lychees have even found their way across the Pacific Ocean and are now grown on the Hawaiian Islands!

What Does a Lychee Look Like?

The lychee, like the rambutan, has a shell that varies from brilliant red to muted pink and is absolutely inedible, but the feel of this exterior is significantly different.

Lychee fruits, rather than being coated in delicate spines, have a leathery skin and an extremely scaly appearance, much like the texture of a dangerous-looking lizard! Nevertheless, if you peel this scary-looking shell away, you’ll be rewarded with a delicious, pale-colored fruit that resembles a rambutan aril but is smaller in size.

What Does a Lychee Taste Like?

Lychee flesh is less creamy and more crisp than rambutan flesh, with a slight sweetness and a strongly flowery flavor. Lychees have a distinct absence of acidity when compared to the taste of rambutans.

Where to Buy Lychees

The lychee is a popular fruit, both fresh and processed into a range of goods. Fresh lychee fruits are most often seen with rambutans at Asian markets, but they may also be found in other grocery shops or vegetable sellers.

Lychee taste is utilized in a variety of items ranging from lychee juice and syrup to lychee ice cream and sweets. Lychees are often used in many drinks these days, so try a lychee martini the next time you see one on the menu!

How to Peel a Lychee Fruit

When it comes to peeling, choose completely ripe lychee fruits whenever possible. Unlike rambutan, which needs a knife to remove the shell, lychee skin is considerably thinner and may be readily peeled with your fingers. The skin may fall off in multiple parts, which is just OK!

After peeling the fruit, cut it in half to remove the huge center seed. Since these seeds contain low quantities of toxins that may cause stomach trouble, eating around them, like you may with a rambutan, is not a good idea.

Rambutan vs. Lychee: Similarities

• Rambutans and lychees are both tropical fruits that belong to the Sapindaceae botanical family, popularly known as the soapberry family.
• Despite their different textures, both lychee and rambutan have a crimson outer skin.
• The two fruits have essentially similar features once peeled. They both have smooth, white skin that varies in hue from off white to pink depending on maturity.
• At the heart of both rambutan and lychee fruits is a single, big seed. These seeds, like peaches and other fruits with core stones, may be cling or freestone, depending on the type.
• Rambutans and lychees are very comparable in terms of health advantages. They both have comparable nutritional content, with high amounts of vitamin C and antioxidants, making them both important instruments in the armory of a healthy immune system!

Rambutan vs. Lychee: Differences

• Although these two fruits have a similar hue, the feel of their exterior skins is considerably different. Rambutans have a layer of soft spines that gives them the appearance of unkempt hair. Lychees, on the other hand, are smoother overall but have a scaly, somewhat grainy texture.
• The size of the unpeeled and peeled fruits differs. Lychees are smaller, approximately the size of cherries or big grapes, whereas rambutans are larger, around the size of golf balls.
• Rambutans and lychees have a similar look when peeled, but they have quite distinct textures. Rambutans have a creamier texture, whilst lychees are crisper and more juicy.
• The flavors of these two fruits are also remarkably distinct. Rambutans have a creamier flavor than lychees and are sweet with a tinge of acidity. Lychee fruits are less sweet and have flowery flavors throughout.

Rambutan vs. Lychee: The Takeaway

The next time you see one of these odd-looking fruits, you’ll know what’s lying behind their brilliant red and oddly textured exteriors! It would be good to taste rambutans and lychees side by side to have a better knowledge of both. This would enable you to see the variations in size, texture, and taste between the two fruits as well as how they are similar.

If you can’t locate fresh rambutans or lychees, do some research to identify the best source for shelf-stable canned versions or goods flavored with these fruits. After all, there are several ways to consume lychee and rambutan fruits!