With a name that stems from the Malay word for hairy, the rambutan is a tropical treat that fruits from June to August in Australia. This prickly character’s seedlings were introduced to Queensland in the 1940s and have now become one of the Wet Tropics Coast’s most popular commercially grown fruit trees. Queensland is now home to many rambutan growers, including RTEGA in Mena Creek, and you will also find the oblong fruits at most grocers and farmers markets throughout winter.

Rambutans are harmonious fruit that grow together in clusters, and possess a tart, lychee-like flavour – making a delicious snack on their own. While the art of opening a rambutan is often disputed amongst its most avid eaters, you can easily slice them open with a knife or grip the fruit with both hands, twisting its skin in opposite directions to squeeze out the transparent flesh.

These delicate foodstuffs won’t last longer than a couple of days at room temperature, however, so gobble them while they’re ripe  – taking care to avoid the hard seed found in the centre, of course.

To make use of a rambutan surfeit, try muddling them in a lime and ginger juice, blending them in a sorbet, sipping on a rambutini, or adding them to a sweet and spicy cocktail. You can also try these bristly fellows in a savoury dish, such as a stuffed rambutan soup, or fold them into a fruit salad with such accompaniments such as green mango.

Image via Cooking on the Weekends.