Which is better, Rambutan or Longan?

[tru]

I've been looking at growing rambutan or longan, which one do people prefer? I see quite a few rambutan in stores but not nearly as many longan

[Amy K]

Longan seem to have poor shelf life so i think that's part of the reason why. I prefer longan since it is easier to eat imo. The meat isn't stuck to the seeds.

[Okvid]

I think Rambutan is better tasting especially if the rambutans are free stone, however longans are infinitely easier to grow since they aren't as tropical.

[brian]

I was only able to try longan once, and based on that oneexperience I felt it was inferior to both lychee and rambutan. 

I can't decide if I like rambutan or lychee better.  The best lychees I've had were better than the best rambutans I've had, but the imported lychees usually suck while the imported rambutans are usually pretty good.

[tru]

I was only able to try longan once, and based on that oneexperience I felt it was inferior to both lychee and rambutan. 

I can't decide if I like rambutan or lychee better.  The best lychees I've had were better than the best rambutans I've had, but the imported lychees usually suck while the imported rambutans are usually pretty good.

I bought some rambutan today but they are clingstone, still good fruit but I was disappointed at how tough it was to simply eat the fruit compared to lychee pulp. Probably would be way better with freestone. The flavor of it was really really good though! Just like lychee, but with an unmistakable cantaloupe/honeydew flavor. I've never tasted longan but I've seen it a few times, ofcourse now that I want to try it, I can't find it.

I didn't know there were freestone and clingstone until Okvid mentioned it, wonder if there is a taste difference between the varieties

[Timbogrow]

Longan easily. I hate that hard seed coat in the flesh from rambutan. Makes me feel like ace ventura eating sunflower seeds.

[ben mango]

All 3 have uniquely different flavors, so comparing the three is really based off personal preference.  Rambutan can vary a lot in flavor and texture from variety to variety. With that said, I will go with lychee , more juicy than a rambutan and the kaimana ones I’ve eaten a lot of are generally sweeter than any rambutans I’ve had.

[Tropheus76]

Better question, can Rambuttan grow in Texas? I know here in Florida, unless something changed recently the answer here is a no and I think we are a bit more tropical than TX. We can grow longan and lychee no problem in about half the state.

[tru]

Better question, can Rambuttan grow in Texas? I know here in Florida, unless something changed recently the answer here is a no and I think we are a bit more tropical than TX. We can grow longan and lychee no problem in about half the state.

Check my profile, it's finna grow whether it likes it or not 

in all seriousness though if you have a 20-30% shade setup for summer heat, you can grow just about anything in TX weather as long as you have a way to shelter for winter. Texas is like a big hotbox, constant 70% humidity, and the weather is pretty reliably clear skies and sunny.

Really, the worst thing I've had to deal with so far is wind. Constant gusts mean wind protection is step 1 of every plant I grow

[JCorte]

I had the opportunity to taste about 7 varieties of longan side by side and there are definitely differences in flavor in the varieties.  I loved them, the ones I tasted previously from the asian market were terrible in comparison.

Janet

[aaronn]

I had the opportunity to taste about 7 varieties of longan side by side and there are definitely differences in flavor in the varieties.

Any standout favorite varieties? I’ve never known the names of longans I’ve eaten but have a preference for the stronger flavored longan fruit’s I’ve tried. I’m growing seedlings, hoping to graft, and would love some info regarding which variety scion I should pursue.

[aaronn]

I think rambutan probably tastes better but I have a strong preference for longan because of how it makes me feel. Probably a quirk of my biology, but longan makes me feel really good. I can eat pounds and pounds of it.

[Galatians522]

Having eaten only home grown Logan and imported rambutan, I would say that Longan varies more in quality. The high quality longans (Sri Chompoo being my favorite) are better than the store bought rambutan, but the poor quality longans are
not even close to rambutan. The people who commented about how the flesh sticks to the rambutan seed are spot on.

[fruit nerd]

I feel the need to defend rambutan, ha. We have rambutan trees and, yes, the flesh does stick to the seed. If picked ripe though, it's a non-issue. I'll also add, dried longan is great.

[JCorte]

Hi Aaron,

Top three were Sakip, Ikeda, and Chu Leon. We liked Dark Eyes better than Kohala, but thought Kohala was good.  We liked Cat's eye longan as well and last place was Fortune Eye. 

Janet

[canito 17]

Pulasan is a better fruit

[aaronn]

Top three were Sakip, Ikeda, and Chu Leon.

Thanks Janet!

[tru]

Pulasan is a better fruit

Hi Aaron,

Top three were Sakip, Ikeda, and Chu Leon. We liked Dark Eyes better than Kohala, but thought Kohala was good.  We liked Cat's eye longan as well and last place was Fortune Eye. 

Janet

Guess I gotta find space for 3 more trees... how do longan and pulasan taste, the same general lychee flavor? Maybe its just the variety I got of rambutan but I expected it to taste really close to lychee, and was thrown off from how much more 'melon' taste I got

[JCorte]

Cainito, hope I can get Pulasan to fruit in SoCal. 

Tru, I've only tasted Brewster Lychees from Kaz, and thought the longans were similar.  I don't remember all the specifics because it was a few months ago, but they were really sweet, juicy, slightly floral, easy to peel and separate from the seed.  I forget which ones but I think a couple had a crispness to them.  Maybe some people don't want the bother of peeling and removing seeds, but I loved them.  The ones I tried were freshly picked and refrigerated to chill them.  Thankful to the grower for sharing with me.

Janet

[K-Rimes]

Longan has a darker nutty undertone that is not present in lychee. I would say longan has no acidity, just sweet, whereas lychee has some. Some longans have a kind of caramel sort of flavor that I find agreeable. Longan SUCKS if it sits around too long and gets an unpleasant flavor and I didn't understand people liking it till I had it fresh from a tree. Something to note that I have heard in passing is that Longan loves alkaline soil, and lychee like a bit more acidic. I tried lychee several times in my yard and it always died, longan is kicking ass so that makes me believe that. My soil is very alkaline.

For me, I much prefer longan over rambutan. Rambutan is interesting looking, pleasant tasting, but the sticking flesh to skin turns me off.

In order of what I like:

1. Lychee
2. Longan
3. Pulasan
4. Rambutan

[Gone tropo]

Not even a contest rambutan by a country mile

[spaugh]

The diamond river longans are pretty good.  I prefer lychee though.  Rambutan seeds suck.

[spaugh]

Janet, can we trade longan scions?

[seng]

Ramutan, only if it is the variety that has flesh that does not stick to the seed.

[Galatians522]

Some longan have a flavor that is slightly earthy--like a radish with no bite. It think that is what Americans don't like. The good ones are more like lychee/sapodilla (or lychee/brown sugar).

[elouicious]

Longans have always been better to me-

brown sugar and a complex grape like something

Havent had any freestone rambutan yet though

[gnappi]

Yeah, another for longan here.

[Saone]

Longan 100 percent. doesnt stick to the seed. If you can find the longan variety that is smaller, but almost translucent and syrupy and super sweet, that is the best variety I have had. There a several varieties and some are big and some are fat and most are more hazy/white than translucent, but there is one variety here, NHÃN LỒNG in vietnamese, it is by far the most flavourful variety I have had.

[seng]

I'm not sure if this is a fair question. 
1- Most people cannot grow rambutan because of the climate.
2- Some have not tasted fresh rambutan from the tree like longan.
3-Some have not tasted the stone free variety.

I like Rambutan because it has some acidity, like lychee and firmer texture.  If you like lychee over longan, then you most likely like rambutan over longan if you have the right rambutan.  Just my opinion.

[Galatians522]

I'm not sure if this is a fair question. 
1- Most people cannot grow rambutan because of the climate.
2- Some have not tasted fresh rambutan from the tree like longan.
3-Some have not tasted the stone free variety.

I like Rambutan because it has some acidity, like lychee and firmer texture.  If you like lychee over longan, then you most likely like rambutan over longan if you have the right rambutan.  Just my opinion.

Thanks for this, it confirms what I had thought based on what my father-in-law had said about the rambutans in Thailand.

[Gone tropo]

I'm not sure if this is a fair question. 
1- Most people cannot grow rambutan because of the climate.
2- Some have not tasted fresh rambutan from the tree like longan.
3-Some have not tasted the stone free variety.

I like Rambutan because it has some acidity, like lychee and firmer texture.  If you like lychee over longan, then you most likely like rambutan over longan if you have the right rambutan.  Just my opinion.

Yes you hit the nail on the head mate, 99.9% of people on this forum cannot grow rambutan however nearly all can grow longan. Trying all the different varieties off the tree at peak ripeness is not something many not living in the tropics are going to be able to do

[fruit nerd]

After eating fresh lychees the last two weekends, I'm going to say rambutan > longan > lychee.

[BigIslandGrower]

The diamond river longans are pretty good.  I prefer lychee though.  Rambutan seeds suck.

Yes they are.  I feel like Longan are more flavorful than rambutan. 

My list in order of preference would be:  Pulasan, Lychee, Longan and Rambutan.

[Pademelon1]

It's interesting that everyone is comparing longan to lychee flavour-wise. Personally, I find longan to be the most different from the three, with rambutan and lychee relatively similar. Rambutan being the least complex.

Its got a brown sugar taste with an undertone of like a funky artificial grape flavour, for me.

I think Lychee > Longan > Rambutan.

[fruit nerd]

I definitely am biased by having rambutan. Fresh off the tree, perfectly ripe, loads and loads of fruit.....great stuff.

[tru]

this thread has led me down a rabbit hole with the whole soapberry family. Has anyone tried an alupag? It looks so cool and im reading that some people like it more than lychee while others/most say its not worth it. Pulasan was also new to me before this thread, anyone got others?

Never would've guessed maple syrup and lychees are in the same family

[Pademelon1]

I haven't tried alupag, but the Cat's Eye longan mentioned in this thread is one.

[spaugh]

It's interesting that everyone is comparing longan to lychee flavour-wise. Personally, I find longan to be the most different from the three, with rambutan and lychee relatively similar. Rambutan being the least complex.

Its got a brown sugar taste with an undertone of like a funky artificial grape flavour, for me.

I think Lychee > Longan > Rambutan.

Agree, lychee taste the best but I have only had store bought rambutans because they don't grow here.

[fruit nerd]

this thread has led me down a rabbit hole with the whole soapberry family. Has anyone tried an alupag? It looks so cool and im reading that some people like it more than lychee while others/most say its not worth it. Pulasan was also new to me before this thread, anyone got others?

Fijian Longan (Pometia pinnata)

[cassowary]

Good longan is sweeter then a good rambutan.
Rambutans are easier to peel and gives more flesh for the effort of opening so if it's a goo veriety they can be very satisfying which longans and lychees aren't.
Rambutans are less messy then longan.
Rambutans that have the aril attach to the seed is very hard to eat, no longan does this so no risk of that.

Even the best Rambutan in Thailand and Indonesia is miles away from Pulasan.

I haven't tried the hairless rambutan or the gigant one so can't say about hose species.

Peace

[Pademelon1]

this thread has led me down a rabbit hole with the whole soapberry family. Has anyone tried an alupag? It looks so cool and im reading that some people like it more than lychee while others/most say its not worth it. Pulasan was also new to me before this thread, anyone got others?

Other Sapindaceae fruits not mentioned yet include Talisia sp., Langsat (Lanisum parasiticum), Mamoncillo (Melicoccus bijugatus), Diploglottis sp., Mischarytera sp., & Chytranthus sp. There's probably some more out there as well.

[fruit nerd]

Cassowary, I have never tried Pulasan. Any ideas on why it is so uncommon? I have heard multiple people say that Pulasan is better than rambutan but never seen the fruit or tree for sale.