The beguiling lychee fruit

A beguiling little fruit. (Photo: Stock.xchng) 

Lychee fruits are in season. 

I like lychee fruit. I particularly like them for their odd, red, leathery skins. I imagine they look much as dinosaur eggs might have looked, but the skins are easily broken with a pinch at the top where it stems off from the branch. Breaking the skin reveals a shimmering, sweet, ivory colored flesh and releases a heady, floral scent. At its center is a small, hard seed which is useful for nothing, much less planting as lychee trees are notoriously temperamental and difficult to cultivate even from seed.

But lychee fruits are a highlight of the summer. Here in San Francisco, lychee fruit is displayed prominently in sidewalk displays in Chinatown. Women in aprons fill small nylon net bags with the red fruit, as customers sort through piles of them, looking for unblemished skins and heft.

A couple pounds of the fruit will set you back about four dollars. Take them home and, assuming you don’t begin eating them right away, put them in the refrigerator in a plastic bag where they’ll keep for more than a week. They’re wonderful chilled, and refreshing on a hot day.

Lychees were first cultivated in subtropical southern China, and historic evidence suggests the Chinese have been enjoying them for about 2,000 years. One story says the emperors of China, who lived in the cold north, would have the trees dug up and shipped whole to the capital so they could enjoy the fruit just as it was ripening. While no doubt a wasteful practice, the incentive makes sense: lychees should only be picked ripe, otherwise they’re bitter and they won’t ripen after they’re picked.

Lychees are grown in the United States, as well, but it’s an infinitesimally small effort compared with those of China, Vietnam, India, and Australia. Lychee trees don’t handle cold well, but still require cool temperatures and lots of water. Efforts to introduce them to the US have resulted in a small industry in Florida where they’re grown in the “highlands” of central Florida. They’re also grown in Hawaii where they’re more popular as a yard tree, and in California where they’re limited to specific, small regions.

Lychee fruit is high in potassium and Vitamin C, and a cup of them of have as much fiber as an apple. No fruit, no matter how wonderful, is without its dark side. Eating too many of them, according to Chinese accounts, can cause nose bleeds and mouth ulcers. How many is too many? I’ve eaten a couple pounds of them in a single sitting on numerous occasions with no ill effects.

Lychee fruit are best eaten fresh and raw, but they can be made into a wide variety of dishes, including savory ones. I prefer them fresh, but I have made a good sorbet from lychees and ginger. This recipe is adapted from “The Chinese Kitchen” by Deh-Tah Hsiung.

2 ounces sugar
4 ounces water
1 pound lychees in their skins
1 tablespoon fresh, grated ginger

• Make a syrup of the sugar and water, dissolving the sugar in boiling water, and then allowing to cool.
• Peel the lychees, discarding the skins and seeds.
• In a food processor or blender, process the fruit and ginger with the syrup until they form a smooth puree.
• Pour the puree into a freezer-safe container for about two hours, or until it is mostly set.
• Break up the mixture, beating it until it’s smooth again. Return the puree to the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes to set solid before serving.

Serves 4 to 6 persons.