Sweet, Sweet Pulasan

What looks like rambutan but sweeter than rambutan and lychee? Its the pulasan, a native of Malaysia. It looks almost like rambutan and some people do confused it if they are not familiar with our local fruits.They come from the same family Sapindaceae. While rambutan is called Nephelium Lappaceum, the pulasan is called Nephelium Mutabile or the Hairless Rambutan. The word pulasan comes from the Malay word pulas which means to twist. Thats how you open the fruit, you have to twist it at both ends to get the sweet fleshy white inside.

On my trip to Muar recently, I came across 2 bushy, laden with fruits, pulasan trees at my friend Som's house. It has been a long time since I saw one! Rambutan trees are more commonly planted in most compounds and I have one in mine which is about 40 years old! I think people prefer rambutan to pulasan because the flesh are more firm and easier to come out from the seeds although pulasan is much sweeter and juicier.

almost ripe pulasan on the tree

ripe ones

opened ripe pulasan to reveal the sweet flesh, the skin is thicker than rambutan's

unripe fruits on the tree

one of Som's pulasan tree laden with fruits, the tree is only about 6 feet, rounded with dense bushy branches sweeping the ground.....even the fruits are kissing the ground too!

comparing those of pulasan these are the rambutans

thinner skin of rambutan

the hairy rambutan (rambut means hair in Malay)


Both fruits are in season now and you can get them by the roadsides in make-shift stalls set up to sell them to passing motorists along with the King of Fruit, the Durian! On the way back, I loaded my small car boot with 30 durians, bags of rambutans from my friend Asiah's orchard and pulasans from Som's! They are my favourite fruits and was craving for them when I was pregnant with my first son!

Next Tuesday the Muslims here and all over the world, will be celebrating the end of the fasting month, Ramadhan, with the festival Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. There will be cooking, eating, visiting and be merry for the whole month with our local open houses. So enjoy everybody.....watch your weight!

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDIL FITRI TO BLOGGERS AND ALL MUSLIMS!