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Rambutan is a small tropical fruit with a red or yellow skin covered in soft, hair-like spines. Inside is a juicy, translucent white flesh wrapped around a single seed, with a sweet, slightly tart taste that many people compare with lychee. That comparison is fair: rambutan fruit belongs to the same plant family as lychee and longan. One thing to know up front is that the USDA SR Legacy database, the reference behind most nutrition tables, lists only canned rambutan in syrup, not the fresh fruit. This guide shows what that entry says, how rambutan vs lychee compares, how to eat it, and what the research does and does not show.
Peptide Labs does not sell rambutan or rambutan products. This article is general nutrition information, not medical advice.
Key Takeaways
- Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) is in the Sapindaceae family with lychee and longan; the part you eat is the aril, a fleshy layer around the seed.
- USDA SR Legacy has no entry for fresh rambutan, only canned rambutan in syrup.
- Canned rambutan in syrup has about 123 calories and 1.4 grams of fiber per drained cup in USDA data.
- Most rambutan research is lab work on the peel or shell, which is not eaten; we found no human trials of eating the fruit.
- Rambutan is not one of the nine major US food allergens, but any fruit can cause allergy in some people.
What is rambutan?
Rambutan comes from the tree Nephelium lappaceum. Plant scientists group it with lychee (Litchi chinensis) and longan (Dimocarpus longan) in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. A 2025 plant biology study described all three as popular tropical fruits known for their succulent arils. An aril is a specialized outgrowth that surrounds the seed, and it is the sweet, glassy flesh you eat. The skin, with its flexible spines, is peeled away and not eaten.
In US stores you may find fresh rambutan in the produce section or canned rambutan in syrup on the shelf. The two are quite different foods nutritionally, because syrup adds sugar and calories, so read the Nutrition Facts and ingredient list on any canned or packaged product.
Rambutan nutrition: what USDA lists
We use the USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy database for every food guide on this site. Its only rambutan entry is canned rambutan in syrup (FDC ID 168167). That entry does not report total sugars, and syrup adds sugar that fresh fruit does not have, so read it as a canned-fruit profile, not as fresh rambutan. For fresh fruit sold in packs, check the Nutrition Facts label if there is one.
| Canned rambutan, syrup pack (FDC 168167) | Per 100 g | Per cup drained, 150 g (% DV) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 82 | 123 |
| Carbohydrate | 20.9 g | 31.3 g (11%) |
| Fiber | 0.9 g | 1.4 g (5%) |
| Total sugars | Not reported | Not reported |
| Protein | 0.65 g | 1.0 g (2%) |
| Vitamin C | 4.9 mg | 7.4 mg (8%) |
| Calcium | 22 mg | 33 mg (3%) |
| Potassium | 42 mg | 63 mg (1%) |
| Water | 78 g | 117 g |
In this USDA canned entry, rambutan is mostly water and carbohydrate, with little protein or fat and a small amount of vitamin C. USDA lists one canned fruit at about 9 grams, so a single rambutan is a small bite. If vitamin C is the reason you reach for tropical fruit, our vitamin C foods guide and kiwi guide show fruits with much higher USDA values. For sugar content across fruits, see our guide to fruit sugar levels.
Rambutan vs lychee and longan
Rambutan vs lychee is the comparison most shoppers ask about. The fruits look different on the outside: rambutan has soft spines, lychee has a bumpy, thin red shell, and longan has a smooth tan shell. Inside, all three have a white, juicy aril around a dark seed. Rambutan flesh is often described as a little creamier and milder, lychee as more floral, and longan as musky and sweet. USDA lists fresh lychee and fresh longan, but only canned rambutan, so the table below is not a like-for-like comparison.
| Per 100 g (USDA FDC ID) | Calories | Fiber (% DV) | Total sugars | Vitamin C (% DV) | Potassium (% DV) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rambutan, canned in syrup (168167) | 82 | 0.9 g (3%) | Not reported | 4.9 mg (5%) | 42 mg (1%) |
| Lychee, raw (169086) | 66 | 1.3 g (5%) | 15.2 g | 71.5 mg (79%) | 171 mg (4%) |
| Longan, raw (169089) | 60 | 1.1 g (4%) | Not reported | 84 mg (93%) | 266 mg (6%) |
| Fresh rambutan | No SR Legacy entry | No SR Legacy entry | No SR Legacy entry | No SR Legacy entry | No SR Legacy entry |
Fresh lychee and fresh longan are rich in vitamin C in USDA data, with longan close to a full day’s Daily Value per 100 grams. The canned rambutan entry is far lower, but because there is no USDA value for fresh rambutan, this table cannot tell you how fresh rambutan compares. What it does show is that canned fruit in syrup carries more calories than the fresh relatives.
Lychee also has a safety note of its own. CDC-supported investigations of outbreaks of acute brain illness in young children in Muzaffarpur, India, found that low blood sugar was common, and that eating lychee and missing the evening meal were linked with illness; natural toxins called hypoglycin A and MCPG were found in most urine samples tested. That research concerns lychee, mostly in undernourished children, and we did not find comparable reports for rambutan.
Rambutan benefits: what the research shows
Searches for rambutan benefits turn up many claims, but the research behind them is mostly lab work on parts of the fruit people do not eat:
- Shell and peel extracts: a 2026 study found that rambutan shell, a by-product of processing, is rich in polyphenols called ellagitannins, such as geraniin and corilagin, and tested the extract in lab antioxidant, bacteria and cell assays.
- Skin, pulp and seed extracts: a 2025 lab study found the highest phenolic content in rambutan skin and seed extracts, with lower levels in the pulp.
- Human studies: a search of Europe PMC in October 2026 found no human trials of eating rambutan fruit.
Lab results on extracts of peel or seed do not show that eating the flesh does anything specific for health. The fair summary is that rambutan is a sweet, watery fruit that adds variety to a fruit bowl. Our antioxidant foods guide explains why lab antioxidant scores are a weak guide to effects in people.
How to eat rambutan fruit
- Open: pinch or cut a shallow slit around the middle of the skin and twist it off, like opening a small egg. The skin and spines are not eaten.
- Eat: bite the white flesh away from the seed and discard the seed with the skin. In some fruit the flesh clings tightly to the seed.
- Canned: compare labels; fruit packed in juice or light syrup usually lists less added sugar than heavy syrup.
- Wash: FDA advises washing produce before peeling or cutting, even when the skin is not eaten, so dirt and bacteria are not moved onto the flesh.
Allergy and other cautions
- Allergy: rambutan is not one of the nine major food allergens that US labeling law requires companies to declare. Itching in the mouth, hives, swelling or breathing trouble after any new fruit needs medical attention; breathing trouble or throat swelling needs emergency care. An allergist can test properly, and our elimination diet guide explains why food testing should be supervised.
- Added sugar: canned rambutan in syrup adds sugar; people managing diabetes can ask their clinician or dietitian how fruit fits their plan, and our low glycemic foods guide explains why whole fruit differs from syrup-packed fruit.
For other tropical fruits with full USDA coverage, see our guides to mango and pineapple. For a very different kind of fruit, our sibling guide to honeydew melon covers a watery melon with more vitamin C and potassium in USDA data.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does rambutan taste like?
Rambutan flesh is sweet and mildly tart with a juicy texture. Many people compare it with lychee, a close relative, though rambutan is often described as a little milder.
What is the difference between rambutan vs lychee?
Both are Sapindaceae fruits with a white aril around a seed. Rambutan has a red or yellow skin with soft spines; lychee has a thin, bumpy red shell.
Is there USDA nutrition data for fresh rambutan?
No. The USDA SR Legacy database lists only canned rambutan in syrup, which has 82 calories per 100 grams and does not report total sugars.
How do you eat rambutan?
Slit the skin around the middle, twist it off, and eat the white flesh away from the seed. The skin and seed are discarded.
Are there proven rambutan benefits?
Not from human trials. Most research tests extracts of the peel, shell or seed in the lab, which does not show effects from eating the fruit.
Can you be allergic to rambutan?
Any fruit can cause allergy in some people. Rambutan is not a major US food allergen, so read ingredient lists on fruit cups and see an allergist if you react.
Questions about a label? Contact us or read our Buyer’s Guide. Food comes first; follow the label and ask a healthcare provider before starting a supplement, especially if you take medicines, are pregnant or have a food allergy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Last reviewed October 2026.
Related guides: Honeydew Melon: Benefits, USDA Nutrition and Food Safety, Lychee: USDA Nutrition, Calories, Benefits and Safety Facts, Foods High in Vitamin C: USDA List of Fruits and Vegetables.