1. Form
The rambutan. You see them on sale everywhere in Indonesia during the rainy season. Inside, they are kinda like lychees or longan, but it has a different type of seed and flavor.
They are yummy and sweet (they taste a little grape like, but sweeter), but the color of them blows me away more than anything else. As they progress from unripe to ripe, they move from green to yellow through shades of orange to a deep dark red that looks like I’ve bumped up the photo saturation, but it’s the real color. The deepest red ones are the most delicious.
2.Color
I also love the little spikes… the spikes change color along their length, often with a dash of green or black at their extremities.
They are one of the good things about rainy season. Unfortunately durian season is at the same time and I still can’t stand the smell of those things, let alone the taste.
3. Skin up close
4. Inside
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
There are actually two major types of commercial rambutan commonly found in Indonesia. One type is the ones that go full red when ripe. The other one stays mostly green when ripe, less hairy, but sweet and you’re less likely to get the woody skin of the pit when you bite the flesh. I don’t quite remember their names, but I think the latter is called Rapiah.
Sorry about my durian Gravatar, that’s purely coincidental.
Really lovely photos. Rambutans are good to eat, but I like looking at them even more.