At Last, the Rambutan Kelapa

This morning I managed to get the rambutan kelapa which I had been unable to find during the last couple of weeks. This rambutan is bigger than usual, with longer, green-tipped curly hair on its skin. The fruit inside is crispy and comes off easily from the seed. It is sweet but not cloyingly sweet.

The other species of rambutan which I also bought is the rambutan laichi. This rambutan is slightly smaller than the rambutan kelapa and it is harder to peel. The fruit is sweeter and also comes off the seed easily. The two types of rambutan are quite easy to differentiate when you look at the skin.

This week is the last time we will get the duku langsat as it is going out of season. This fruit is sweet and the fruit segments are sweet. It is advisable to select the medium-sized fruit so that you won't get big seeds in the fruit segments after you have peeled the skin off. Its skin is slightly thicker than the langsat skin.

The langsat costs more this week as it is also going out of season. The same holds for the langsat when you buy it. Choose the medium-sized ones. They can be sweet or sour. Of course the sweet ones taste better.

The fruit vendors will encourage you to try the fruit before you buy from them. This practice is common in Asian countries. However, it is always polite to ask if one may try out the fruit before actually doing so. The vendor will never refuse your request.

I also managed to get three durians, each of different species and of course different prices. Durians here are usually more expensive than those on the mainland and the variety here is also limited. Nevertheless, the whiff of the aromatic durian is too much temptation and I would normally buy at least two. I had one whole fruit for lunch!! The segments were large and very filling. It was durian tembaga. That's what the vendor said. Vendors here do not do what the vendors on the mainland do. There they will open the durian for you, let you look at the fruit and if you like the look of it, he will then pack it in a plastic container for you.

This makes it lighter and easier to carry home whereas here, I had to lug the three fruits which were a total of 6.5 kg!! Sunday is usually Fruit marketing day, buying whatever fruits are in season.