Celebrating the ramboutan

One of the best things about living in French Guiana is the incredible variety of delicious tropical fruit you can buy all year long. At the market today, Jack and I bought my favorite fruit in the whole world: the ramboutan. And to think: before coming to French Guiana, I had never even heard of this fruit! (click on photos to enlarge)

The ramboutan is available seasonly-- it appears only from February to May (during our rainy season). The ramboutan is not native to French Guiana but was brought here by the Hmong people when they immigrated to this territory after the French Indochinese war. Today, the ramboutan has become so popular in French Guiana that there is even a famous ramboutan festival organized every year in April.

Ramboutans are oval and look somewhat like litchis. However, they're light reddish to deep red in color.

Although they're a prickly fruit, their prickles are very soft and can be handled without being scratched. Either you take a knife or you use your fingernail to help you peel off the skin.

Inside, you'll find a white fruit you can pop into your mouth; however, you have to spit out the pit.
The taste is delicate, juicy and sweet. It's very refreshing to eat ramboutans you've stored in the refrigerator on a hot day.