Also known as
Litchi

Description of Lychee

Lychee is an aromatic fruit with a sweet taste. The fruit is a drupe, 3-4cm long and 3cm in diameter. It is covered by a pinkish-red, roughly-textured rind on the outside, which is inedible but can be easily removed. The pulpy inner flesh is a translucent white, with a wet and wobbly, jelly-like texture. It is sweet and has a strong aroma. Within this flesh is encased a brown nut-like seed, which is around 2cm long and 1-1.5cm in diameter.

Chopped lychee

Remove the outer skin of the lychees and deseed them. Chop the flesh of the lychee into small even-sized pieces. Canned lychees may also be used for chopping. Chopped lychees must be chilled, and can be added to salads, or enjoyed with cream or ice-cream. They can also be made into lychee puree by adding water and blending.

How to select Lychee
• Select fresh-looking lychees with firm skin.
• A small length of the stem should be attached.
• Canned lychee is also available all year round.

Culinary uses Lychee
• Lychees can be relished plain or with ice-cream, fresh cream or custard.
• They can be added to fruit salads, custards, ice-creams and other desserts.
• Lychees can also be combined with other fruits and veggies to make great salads.
• Juices and cocktails using lychee, like Lychee Iced Tea, Martinis and Lemonades are also common.
• Blend the lychee flesh with water to obtain a smooth puree, strain and discard the pulp. Use the puree to make mocktails.

How to store Lychee
• Lychees usually do not ripen further after harvesting.
• Refrigerate them in a plastic bag or container, and use within 7 days.
• When the fresh fruit is refrigerated, the red rind turns dark brown but the taste is not affected.

5 Health Benefits of Lychee
1.Boosts Immune Function: Our immune system is the line of defense against bacteria and virus. The body produces immune cells (white blood cells – WBC) to protect us against these foreign invaders. Vitamin C is a nutrient which helps build these cells and enhance immune function to help us fight infections. You would be surprised to know that ½ cup of lychee (about 8 pieces) fulfils more than 80% of our day’s requirement from vitamin C. It helps prevent and reduce the symptoms of common disease like cold.

2.Reduces Inflammation: Lychee, like most fruits, is packed with antioxidants and flavonoids like anthocyanin which are known to reduce inflammation and ward off the harmful free radicals from the body. High levels of inflammation and free radicals can trigger other chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and some auto-immune disorders as well. Remember you are what you eat! So when in season, don’t miss out on enjoying lychee at least twice to thrice a week and stock up on these key nutrients and compounds. Want to try something different, then try Lychee Salsa.

Click here to know more about the 5 Health benefits of Lychee.

Nutritive Information for Lychee:
½ cup of chopped lychee is about 110 grams
RDA stands for Recommended Daily Allowance.

Energy - 67 calories
Protein – 1.2 g
Carbohydrate – 15 g
Fat – 0.2 g
Fiber – 0.6 g

Vitamins:
0.02 mg of Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) = 1.4% of RDA ( (about 1.2 to 1.6 mg for men)
0.03 mg of Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) = 1.6% of RDA (about 1.4 to 1.9 mg for men)
34.1 mg of Vitamin C = 85.3 % of RDA (about 40 mg)

Minerals:
11 mg of Calcium = 1.8% of RDA (about 600 mg)
0.4 mg of Iron = 2% of RDA (about 20 mg)
27.5 mg of Phosphorus = 4.6% of RDA (about 600 mg)
137.5 mg of Magnesium = 40.4% of RDA (about 340 mg)
174.9 mg of Potassium = 3.7% of RDA (about 4700 g)

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Description of Lychee

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