Like its cousin the lychee, the rambutan—a fuzzy, red, egg-shaped fruit—is slowly growing in popularity, especially with pastry chefs who love its sweet scent and translucent white flesh. "You experience the fragrance as much as you do the taste, and they're beautiful," says Bill Yosses, pastry chef at Citarella the Restaurant. "I try to use rambutans with the skin in good shape because they're so pretty." You can import them from Hawaii and Thailand; to get a taste first, try Yosses' tropical fruit vacherin with grilled banana and pineapple. —Suzanne Ito
Posted 07.30.03
Posted 07.30.03
