Chef at 17:16, 14 August 2014

2014-08-14T17:16:03Z

New page

{{#seo:
|title=Lychee: Cooking Wiki
|titlemode=replace
|keywords=#lychee #fruit #china #ackee #longan #india
|hashtagrev=12032020
|description=The lychee (Litchi chinensis) (Chinese: 荔枝; pinyin: li zhi) is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae
}}


[[Image:Litchi chinensis fruits.JPG|300px|thumb|right|Lychees in fruit. (Réunion island)]]

The lychee (Litchi chinensis) (Chinese: 荔枝; pinyin: lì zhī) is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to the Guangdong and Fujian provinces of [[China]], and now cultivated in many parts of the world. Other tropical members of the soapberry family include the [[longan]] and the [[ackee]].

The fresh [[fruit]] has a "delicate, whitish pulp" with a floral smell and a fragrant, sweet flavour. Since this perfume-like flavour is lost in the process of canning, the [[fruit]] is usually eaten fresh.

===Geographical cultivation===
The lychee is cultivated in [[China]], Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, [[India]], Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal and parts of Southern Africa. China is the main producer, followed by India.

===Culinary use===
Lychees are commonly sold fresh in Asian markets, and in recent years, also widely in supermarkets worldwide. The red rind turns dark brown when the fruit is refrigerated, but the taste is not affected. It is also sold canned year round. The fruit can be dried with the rind intact, at which point the flesh shrinks and darkens. Dried lychees are often called lychee nuts, though, of course, they are not a real nut.
[[Image:Litchi chinensis Luc Viatour.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Peeled lychee fruits]]
===Medicinal use===
In traditional Chinese medicine, Lychee is known for being a fruit with "hot" properties, and excessive consumption of Lychee can, in certain extreme cases, lead to fainting.
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<code 'hashtagrev:12032020'>[[Special:Search/lychee|#lychee]] [[Special:Search/fruit|#fruit]] [[Special:Search/china|#china]] [[Special:Search/ackee|#ackee]] [[Special:Search/longan|#longan]] [[Special:Search/india|#india]]
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Lychee - Revision history

Chef at 17:16, 14 August 2014