Native to southeast Asia, rambutan is a unique fruit that grows best in the tropical climates of Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia—though it also grows in Mexico and Hawaii. The fruit is best known for the soft, flexible spikes—called spinterns—that grow on the outside of its thick skin.

Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) is a tropical fruit that originates in Southeast Asia but also grows in other hot climates. The rambutan fruit is about the size of a golf ball and has a red skin with soft green/reddish spikes.