The lychee is originally from China, where it has been cultivated for more than 4000 years. It was not until the beginning of the last century that the lychee tree was planted outside the southern Chinese regions. The lychee inspires not only with its exotic taste, but also with the numerous health benefits.
Here’s what you should know about lychee
The lychee originates from China, where it has been cultivated for more than 4000 years. In its original homeland of southern China, lychee has been highly valued for more than 4,000 years. Nowadays, lychee trees also grow in other subtropical countries, such as India, Thailand, Taiwan, Kenya, South Africa, Madagascar, Mexico and Australia. The tree, which belongs to the soap tree family, requires a subtropical climate to thrive. Long, hot summers that provide plenty of moisture and very short, frost-free winters provide the best conditions for the tree. In autumn, the evergreen plant, which can grow eight meters high, does not lose its leaves. The lychee is covered by a shell. The texture of the reddish shell is reminiscent of the shell of turtles. It is quite thin and soft, but can become hard and firm if harvested early or stored for long periods. The lychee contains a seed inside. This seed is not edible and must therefore be removed before consumption. Thanks to optimal transport routes, the fresh fruit is available all year round in Germany. After peeling the pink or dark red lychee, the flesh of the fruit is revealed. It is white, tastes sweet and sour and has a pleasant slightly bitter aftertaste and a note reminiscent of nutmeg.
Importance for health
The lychee is a very healthy snack thanks to its multiple nutrients. Especially the high phosphorus content effectively helps to ensure a healthy energy metabolism. The essential substance can be supplied to the organism only from the outside through food. The fruit also has a lot of vitamin C, which has a very beneficial effect on strengthening the immune system and defense against infections. The B vitamins contained in lychee support various metabolic functions. With the magnesium and calcium it contains, lychee also ensures healthy bone, muscle and nerve activity. The exotic fruit helps to reduce cravings when dieting. The sweet taste of lychee is a healthy alternative to chocolate or other processed sweets. Refreshing and easy to digest, lychee has a blood-cleansing effect and is good for the stomach and intestines.
Ingredients and nutritional values
| Nutritional information |
Amount per 100 gram |
| Calories 66 | Fat content 0.4 g |
| Cholesterol 0 mg |
Sodium 1 mg |
| Potassium 171 mg | Carbohydrates 17 g |
| Dietary fiber 1.3 g |
Protein 0.8 g |
The lychee, the sweet vitamin bome, contains plenty of carbohydrates and already 135 grams of the fruit flesh cover the entire daily requirement of an adult in vitamin C. It also provides the body with provitamin A, plenty of vitamins B1 and B2, and the important minerals potassium, calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. The fruit consists of around 80 percent water. Fructose is also present in the lychee at more than 15 percent. 100 grams of lychee have about 65 calories.
Intolerances and allergies
Fresh lychee contains a maximum of 10 mg of sulfur dioxide and sulfite salts in the edible portion per one kilogram of the fruit. It is well tolerated by most people because the body’s own enzymes allow rapid oxidation to the harmless sulfate. In some people, however, consumption can lead to intolerance reactions such as asthmatic reactions. This mainly affects some asthma patients. The lychee contains a lot of fructose, which should be taken into account by all those who attach great importance to a low-carbohydrate diet or who suffer from fructose intolerance. For the latter group, eating lychee can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, for example, flatulence and diarrhea.
Shopping and kitchen tips
Those who choose the fine lychee only canned, miss something, because the fresh fruit tastes much better and also contains more vitamins than its sister preserved in syrup.The lychee is sold either by weight or in the packaged form. Since the fruit is very small, many copies should be purchased. Fruits harvested unripe, which is to extend the shelf life, have a poorer aroma. Therefore, before buying a lychee should be tasted. Of course, this is possible only if the fruit is offered in bulk. The lychee must be harvested fully ripe, as it does not ripen. Unripe fruits therefore do not belong in the shopping basket and can be recognized by their deep pink skin. In a ripe fruit, the peel is reddish brown, becomes brittle and can be easily broken. The skin of the lychee is very thin, which causes the flesh to dry out fairly quickly. The lychee should be stored at a minimum of 10 degrees (room temperature is better) and no longer than one week. The lychee can also be frozen very well if necessary. For this purpose, the peel and possibly the pit are removed. Then the fruit can be placed in a freezer can or freezer bag in the freezer. Peeling the lychee takes a little effort, but with a little practice it is very easy: the thin, hard skin of the lychee is scored a little with a pointed knife and the lychee is pressed out. The skin can also, if it has not yet become so firm, simply peeled off, similar to boiled eggs. The inedible pit is then removed from the flesh with the fingers and the lychee is ready to eat. A fresh lychee delights with a snow-white, milky-looking flesh that smells of roses and tastes deliciously sweet.
Preparation tips
Many people prefer to eat lychee raw, for example in a delicious fruit salad or with a fine dessert such as an almond jelly with rose petals. Here it is also certain that the complete spectrum of the vitamin C bomb is absorbed. Thanks to its sweet and sour aroma, however, lychee also goes well with numerous dishes, either fresh or cooked, and adds an interesting note to the food. In addition, the healthy fruit with its content of valuable nutrients makes a very important contribution to a balanced diet. For example, the exotic fruit goes well with Asian and tropical fish, meat and rice dishes. The sweet and sour taste of lychee offers a welcome change. Long cooking times are not necessary during preparation, as the fruit already has a very soft consistency when raw. The lychee is also a great decoration for cocktails and drinks as well as for an ice cream sundae or an exotic salad. In well-stocked stores, even lychee honey is now available, which is a tasty specialty from the USA.
