October 8, 2010

Yellow Rambutans

My family used to live in Brooke Drive many years ago. And we had a special yellow rambutan tree.

My father was young then and he could climb the tree to get rambutans for us. It was a part of our happy childhood having special rambutans plucked by our own father...and eating rambutans planted by our grandfather.



My father was very generous and when friends came he would also pluck the rambutans for his friends to bring home. Father was quite a big man by Foochow standard like hiw own father. So we were often worried that the branches might break under his weight. But it was fine. He would use the long bamboo poles to get the rambutans which were too high up. But luckily this species of rambutans are not as tall as the red ones.

Yellow rambutans are just as sweet as the red ones. But as kids we were quite embarrassed that when we brought our rambutans to school we had to explain that our rambutans were yellow in colour because our grandfather planted the tree. We did not know at the time the term "species". So it was quite amusing when our friends said that we had "albino" rambutans...It was any way a wrong term.
I suppose in those days people ate "red" rambutans and not "yellow" ones. We did not eat blue rice (nasi kerabu) and perhaps none of our nyonya cakes in those days were purple...

Today we have purple mooncakes and orange birthday cakes. Some wedding cakes are blue....over the years people have changed their ideas about food colours.

Childhood memories however are often very strongly imprinted in our minds. I just love them...warts and all.

4 comments:

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

The best rambutans were from your uncle Mr. Chong's tree. Can't remember if it was yellow.

Generousity runs in the family. Mr. Chong and your dad.

Ah Ngao said...

i like rambutans too but after eating a few,i tend to get this "heaty" feeling in my throat so nowadays,i take my sweet time to kopek the skin and slice the rambutans and add a pinch of salt and put the whole thing inside a bowl of water and leave it inside the fridge.when i watch tv,i take it our and....enjoy !

Ensurai said...

Dear Ann
Yes I remember the rambutans of Chong Villa. Some of them were yellow. The the red ones were the beswt!!
My Chong Great Grandfather was a very generous Methodist and provided much for his friends and relatives.

Ensurai said...

Ah Ngao
Yes rambutans are very heaty...we usuallydrink lots of lian teh after eating tropical fruits especially durians...Wonder why...western medicine cannot address this.

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