Lately, fresh lychees have started to pop up at the Asian grocery store. Beneath the red bumpy skin is a sweet, fragrant, juicy, translucent grape-like white fruit. If you’ve never tried them before, they’re quite the summertime treat.
Fresh lychees are so good as is, I’ve never been able to bring myself to actually use them in a recipe. They have a freshness that the canned version doesn’t quite capture. With such a short season (a few weeks) I must eat them before they’re all gone.
To eat, just stick a thumbnail in towards the top to break the skin (be careful not to squirt juice all over the place) and the rest of the skin should easily be peeled off. I like to eat them as I’m peeling them – watch out for the smooth, shiny, hard pit in the middle.
I also remember eating bags of dried lychees as a kid. Although I haven’t seen the dried lychees at any store for years. The whole lychee is dried with the skin on. When dried, the skin turns a cinnamon-brown color and becomes somewhat brittle and the inside becomes dark brown and raisin-like. They were mighty tasty and fun to eat too.
I’ve never seen these fresh, only canned! They sound refreshing.
Thanks Lisa, they are very refreshing!
You know, lychees are one of those foods you forget about then, suddenly, you spot them at the grocery store or read about them in a recipe or see them in a picture and you know, you know, you simply must have them.
So now, thanks to your pretty picture, I’ve simply got to get some. I wonder if my store even carries them. Oh dear!
Cheers.
Fresh lychees are my favorite fruit! Nice photo!
i’ve only had canned lychees before – but the fresh ones look so pretty & so much more awesome! now i’ve got to get to my asian grocery store. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!
almost vegetarian – Yup, that’s me. I spot them in the store and then it’s “Oh, lychees! I’ve got to get some!”
chinchin – One of my favorites too!
jessy – Fresh lychees are amazing compared to canned. Hope you find some!
I’ve never had lychees – fresh, canned or dried! I’ll have to keep an eye out.
Erin – Hope you find some, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised. :-)
i got some fresh lychees and i had a few last night – you’re so right – they’re awesome!
jessy – Glad you found some! I’ve got to get some more myself before they’re all gone. :-)