Longan

+Description

The longan, also known as lamyai, is a fruit that somewhat resembles the lychee. Longan is native to Southern China. The shell is bark-like, reddish/brown, thin and less rough than the lychee. This makes the fruit easy to shell. The flesh is whitish, translucent, somewhat musky, sweet, and tastes somewhat like mango. The seed is round, jet-black, shining, with a circular white spot at the base.

+Availability

Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec

Longan is available from Thailand

+Main nutrients

Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Phosphorus, Protein, Vitamin A, B and C.

Longan

The flesh of the longan is whitish, translucent, somewhat musky, sweet, and tastes somewhat like mango.
View Longan

The fruit can easily be shelled by squeezing the fruit out as if you are "cracking" a sunflower seed. The seed should not be eaten.

Consumption

The fruit is commonly eaten out of hand. Longan is also made in jams, jellies or marmalade. Furthermore Longan is used to make tea or even liqueur.

When to eat

Ripe longans are reddish/brown. Keep ripe longans refrigerated and consume within a few days.

Longan means "dragon eyes" in Chinese. The fruit is named so because of the resemblance to an eyeball when it is shelled. The seed is round, black with a circular white spot at the base, giving it the aspect of an eye.
Longan is related to the lychee and is sometimes referred to as the 'little brother of the lychee'.
Seeds of the longan contain saponin, which sometimes is used in shampoo.