July 24, 2019
When visiting Oahu, I was in for a pleasant and unexpected surprise find…Lychees!!! Lychee flavored candies, drinks, and fresh lychees were found all over the island. For a lychee lover, I was in heaven! I was so happy to snatch up a bag of lychees at Kualoa Ranch! I love them so much I decided to designate an entire post to them!
Now I suppose most people are wondering…what on earth is a lychee?
A lychee is a small, round fruit that originated and is predominantly grown in China. It is not a very popular fruit in the US (except Hawaii) and I never heard of it until I spent a year in France a few years back. I was introduced to the fruit by my host family who spent many vacations in Southeast Asia. When in season, it is a very popular fruit in France.
I have only seen lychees in the supermarket near me once in my life. And I promptly cleared the shelves and purchased the four small containers they did have!
So it was much to my surprise to find lychee galore in Hawaii. Thinking about it, the popularity of the fruit makes sense due to Hawaii’s tropical climate, proximity to Asia, and the high volume of Asian visitors to the islands.
What does it taste like?
To me, a lychee has a sweet, rose flavor to it. I also love rose flavored items, which I understand are not popular, so that is a terrible comparison. The texture of the fruit on the inside is a bit slippery and slimy, similar to a grape and peach. Like a peach, the lychee has a pit on the inside that you have to be careful of when eating.
How to eat a lychee
First, you need to peel the rind. The lychee has a thin, yet hard coating on the outside. Use your nail to puncture the rind and peel. If there is still a stem attached to the lychee. I like to hold onto this and peel around it so I have something to hold the lychee with.
Then, nibble the fruit off around the pit. If the fruit has a stem, I prefer to eat it this way. If there is no stem, then I peel the whole fruit, put it in my mouth and chew around the pit like I was eating a cherry.
The juices from the fruit can be very sticky so make sure you wash your hands after!
Hopefully one day you are able to try a juicy, fresh lychee! (Those canned lychees have nothing on fresh ones!)
