Q&A for How to Eat a Lychee

Lychees make a perfect addition to a fruit salad and pair well with vanilla ice cream, a standard Chinese restaurant dessert choice. Lychees also taste great with cheese platters, and can even be stuffed with soft, creamy cheese for a tasty treat. Lychees can be preserved too, in condiments such as pickles, jams and preserves and they can be dried for longer preservation.

The seed is very astringent and is not meant to be consumed. In Chinese medicine, it has been used as an analgesic, as it is thought that it may have anti-tumor properties; however, this is yet to be proven and scientists are still investigating. In some parts of the world, the seeds are used like shampoo, due to their saponin content.

Yes, you can grow a lychee tree in your home garden, provided you can give the tree the right growing conditions. Lychee trees do well in warm, humid summers and cool winters that have low rainfall. They do not like coastal areas or salty soils. For more help with growing your own lychee tree, check out the wikiHow: How to Grow a Lychee Tree .

There is no difference, these are just different forms of spelling. The scientific name for a lychee is Litchi chinensis , so some people spell the common name by taking if from the scientific name.

Yes, the lychee needs to be peeled before eating because the edible part is under the lychee’s skin. To peel it, take hold of the lychee from the stem end, then peel back the skin from the other end. It shouldn’t be too hard unless the lychee is old, in which case you may need a knife to cut toughened skin. Since juice will drip out once the lychee is opened, peel over a bowl to catch the juice, which you can drink if you want.

A lychee has a mouth-feel similar to a grape. The flavor is unique but is somewhat similar to a mix of grape, pear, rosewater or floral flavors. It’s best to give one a try, so you can decide for yourself!

The best sign that a lychee is ripe is its pink or red skin. A lychee must be picked when it has already ripened, as it will not ripen after picking.

Yes, lychees are good for health. Lychees contain a decent amount of vitamin C and some potassium. They also contain fiber, which is an important part of the human diet.

A lychee does not need to be washed, as the fruit is protected inside the lychee’s skin, which must be peeled off first to reach the fruit. Using water on the shell of the fruit before you peel it will make it hard for you to pull it off. If you find specks of the peel or anything else get onto lychee flesh after peeling, you could rinse them quickly.

Unripe lychees contain a toxin that can harm or even kill a person who has an underdeveloped or suppressed immune system. Generally lychees are only sold when ripe because they do not ripen once picked. However, in some parts of the world, children have been known to pick unripe lychees from trees, eat them and get poisoned because they are already malnourished. Ripe lychees are safe to eat unless you’re allergic to them.

As it says in the article, the seed is poisonous and the skin is inedible. Eating the lychee whole would most likely make you sick, though I'm unsure of the severity of said sickness.

It's up to you. There is no set limit. Eat until you feel you've had enough. Remember to keep a balanced diet and you will have a healthy life.

Yes, you could.

The white edible part of a lychee is called the "stuffing."

That is the seed, and it should be discarded.

Since the fruit is so high in sugar, I would suggest limiting a serving size to roughly 1/4 to 1/2 cup of dried lychee.

You don't. The antioxidants and other nutrition is all in the edible part of the fruit.

There are many benefits to eating lychee, as with many fruits. The lychee can help provide antioxidants that guard against diseases like cancer and it has fiber, which contributes to keeping your bowels healthy. However, as with any food, the benefits will only accrue as part of a balanced diet of many healthy foods.

Take a look at our article on How to Dry Lychees ; it has some simple tips and in depth steps.