Lychee Fruit

Lychee originated in southern China 1,000 years ago, but I didn’t eat it regularly until we were living in Hawaii.

The rind of the Lychee ranges in tones from pink to red. The first time I bought Lychee, I had no idea how to open the rind to get to the juicy fruit inside. Do I cut it in half like an onion? Do I use a vegetable peeler like a potato? No, just puncture the skin with your thumbnail like a clementine and peel it. So easy.

The flavor of the Lychee is sweet like a pear with a floral hints like rosewater. Enjoy them while they’re fresh, but they shouldn’t be eaten unripe and children shouldn’t eat a lot of Lychee due to a toxin in the seed that can also be present in the fruit.

Lychee fruit is harvested in the summer. If you live in a place where Lychee is grown, like Florida and Hawaii, you’ll probably find the fruit in your local market. Otherwise, look in an Asian market. Sometimes you might find canned Lychee, but that’s nothing compared to the fresh fruit. Lychee can be used in fruit salads or smoothies, but my favorite way to enjoy Lychee fruit is to peel it, pop it in my mouth and spit out the seed.

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including in-depth eating and drinking guides to Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Monsaraz, and Evora in Portugal. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms and is distributed by the Radio Misfits Podcast Network.