The Mandarin term “红毛丹” is derived from the transliteration and paraphrase of the Malay name rambutan. The Malay word rambut means “hair”, and the fruit’s name was originally transliterated as “蓝毛丹”, in which “蓝毛” means “blue hair”. However, as the peel turns red as the fruit ripens, the Mandarin name was paraphrased to mean “red hairy fruit”, using the term “红毛” (“red hair”). The final character “丹” (dān) is transliterated from “tan” in rambutan.

Rambutans, along with lychees and longans, are plants belonging to the Sapindaceae family. They are native to Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Indochina, Thailand, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.