Here’s a basic guide to lychee, a fruit of South Asian origin that grows on a tall evergreen tree most common to Malaysia, Vietnam, and China. Here’s what you need to know about lychee, including buying, storing, and freezeing. You’ll also find ideas for how to use, plus links to recipes.
This fruit is also known as Chinese cherry, and alternate spelling include litchi, litchi nut, and lichee. More recently, certain varieties like the green lychee grow in and are exported from South Africa.
The following information is adapted from Melissa’s Great Book of Produce by Cathy Thomas, reprinted with permission of Melissa’s Produce:
Its spiny bumps make the shell look impenetrable, but all it takes is a hungry push of a thumbnail to reach the fragrant, white gray orb inside. Peel away just enough to expose one juicy and then squeeze.
About the size and shape of a peeled grape, the lychee has an alluring fragrance that is rose-like and a taste that is a blend of super sweet cherry and banana. Hidden inside, there’s an inedible glossy brown seed.
Lychees have been one of China’s most prized fruits for more than 2,000 years. Because of its delectable flavor profile, it steals the show whether eaten raw on its own, included in fruit salad, or incorporated in cooked dishes.
Buying and storing lychee
You’ll have most luck in finding lychees in Asian produce markets; otherwise, find online at sources like Melissa’s Produce. Off-season, they may be hard to procure; as an alternative, consider their relatives, rambutan or longan. All these fruits are perishable and are usually shipped alone in an expedited fashion.
- Seasonality: Domestic: May to June; global: May to September. The freshest lychees have vibrant, rust-red shells about 1 to 2 inches long. Some prefer the sweetness of those mottled with brown patches; this color change occurs several days after harvesting. They’re best if they feel heavy for their size. Avoid any with splits or wrinkles.
- Freezing: Freeze up to 3 months. Freezing for more than 4 hours changes lychees’ texture and reduces its fragrance, but it is still delicious.
- Storage tips: From Melissa’s Produce — “Wrap lychees in a paper towel and store in a perforated plastic bag. Lychees produce very little ethylene. Keep humidity level high and the temperature at 34 – 40ºF.”
Canned lychee
If you can’t find fresh lychees, the next best thing is to get them canned. It’s not quite the same, but it will do in some cases, especially when incorporating into recipes.
While fresh is always more exciting, canned lychee (pre-shelled) is widely available in Asian markets and online sources like Amazon and Weee! There are many brands, and most are packed in heavy syrup. If you prefer, you can seek out a brand (like the one above) with no extra sugar.
Lychee Nutrition information
Lychee is particularly high in Vitamin C and the family of plant compounds called proanthocyanidins, which include antioxidants. Here’s a complete look at lychee’s nutrition information.
Lychee is fantastic incorporated into fruit smoothies
How to prepare lychees
From Melissa’s produce: “Lychees should not be peeled until just before they are served. Remove peel and black seed. When using lychees in cooking, add at the last minute for a wonderful, fragrant flavor.”
Press near one and to break the shell, then peel to expose one end; pinch remaining shell to pop lychee out. If small or medium-sized, use scissor-style cherry pitter to remove seed. Or, cut in half with small knife and cut out the seed.
Discard the pit! No matter what variety of lychee, please discard the pit, which is not edible and may have adverse effects if ingested.
How to use lychee, with links to recipes
Out of hand: Perhaps the best way to enjoy lychee is to pop it out of its hard shell, discard the pit, and enjoy just as is.
Fruit salads: Add peeled and pitted lychee to favorite fruit salad combos. Blackberries, strawberries, and lychees are a great combination; or combine with other exotic fruits. Here’s a delectable Fruit Salad with Lychee and Coconut Milk.
Dress up grains: Add peeled, pitted, and halved lychees to rice or other grain dishes near the end of cooking time for surprising bursts of flavor. Case in point, this plant-based Lychee Fried Rice.
Refreshing beverages: Incorporating lychees into cold beverages and smoothies is a great idea. Make sure to leave a couple of seeded lychees to use as garnish. Try Strawberry Lychee Lemonade and this nutrient-packed Lychee Smoothie.
Cocktails: Spear a lychee or two on a long toothpick and use as a garnish for sweet cocktails. Try this lychee sake martini. Spear seeded lychee with a toothpick or cocktail pick and uses a garnish for a sake martini. For each cocktail, fill a cocktail shaker with cracked ice. Add 1 1/2 ounces of vodka and 1/2 ounce of sake; cover and shake vigorously, then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a lychee or two (peel and pit over the glass, allowing any juice to fall in).
Instant (or very simple) sorbet: Freeze lychees in the shell for 3 to 4 hours. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, and serve. Freezing for a short period creates a sorbet-like consistency that’s irresistible. If you want to dress things up a bit, this Lychee Sorbet combines caned lychees with coconut milk.
Tropical fruit tart: Fill baked, cooled pastry shell with vanilla custard or pudding. Top with concentric rings of lychees, strawberries, and kiwi slices. To glaze, brush with a little warmed apricot jelly or jam.
Salsa: Add a few chopped lychee fruits to your favorite homemade or bottled salsa to serve with tortilla chips or to embellish a tortilla dish.
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