Lychee
Lychee is a small, rough-skinned fruit with translucent white flesh that is juicy, floral and sweet. It has a single glossy brown seed.
Litchi chinensis fruits: B.navez, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Where it comes from
Lychee has been grown in southern China for thousands of years and is cultivated across Asia and in warm climates elsewhere. It is eaten fresh, in desserts and in drinks.
Explore the cuisine of China.
Nutrition: Lychee is a good source of vitamin C.
Fruit guide
Enjoying Lychee
Ways to enjoy it
- Eaten fresh, chilled
- Added to fruit salad
- Blended in smoothies and sodas
- Served with yogurt or ice cream
- Poached in light syrup
- Paired with mint and lime
How to choose, prepare and store
- Choose fruits with a bright reddish skin and a fragrant smell; avoid brown, cracked or leaking ones.
- Ripen at room temperature if slightly firm; lychee does not ripen much after picking.
- Wash and pat dry; score the skin and peel it away with your fingers.
- Cut around the seed and remove it.
- Chill the fruit for an hour before eating.
- Store unpeeled in the refrigerator in a perforated bag for up to a week.
Variations
- Lychee sparkling cooler with lime and mint
- Lychee sorbet
- Lychee jelly
Cook’s tip: Chill the fruit first; the flavor is at its most refreshing cold.
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About this page
Description and method written by Intercontinental Chef. Home-style method; quantities are a starting point, so adjust to taste.
Photo credit
- Litchi chinensis fruits: B.navez, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)