rambutan

[ram-BOOT-n] Indigenous to the Malay Archipelago, this remarkable looking fruit has a rind that's covered in dark, soft, flexible "bristles." The rambutan is small (1 to 2 inches in diameter) and, depending on the variety, the rind color can be crimson, orange, yellow or green. Inside, a single seed is surrounded by a translucent, grapelike flesh that has a sweet, delicate flavor, which is much like but slightly more acidic than that of the litchi (to which it's related). The rind is easy to peel off; after which the whole rambutan should be popped into the mouth, the flesh eaten and the seed discarded.