Longan Fruit is a versatile ingredient that is used both as food and medicine. It is named after its resemblance to the eyes of a phoenix. Longan fruit has high medicinal value and is effective for treating diseases and promoting health. So, what are the culinary values of Longan fruit?
Due to its low fruiting rate and limited annual yield, there are very few orchards that cultivate Longan fruit in large quantities. It is only sporadically planted.
Longan fruit has strong adaptability, tall tree height, beautiful crown shape, and strong pollution resistance. It is widely cultivated in parks, roads, campuses, factory areas, and courtyards in the southern region of China.
Longan trees have dense crowns, evergreen leaves, and beautiful tree shapes, making them excellent courtyard landscape trees and roadside trees in Zhongshan, which is next to Panyu.
Longan trees bloom in early summer and bear large red fruits in July and August each year. The mature Longan fruit splits into four or five smaller fruits, with a dark red outer skin and a black-brown elliptical seed inside.
Due to its resemblance to eyes from a distance, and the fact that the black-brown seeds are edible, the fruit is commonly known as "Longan fruit" in folk culture.
Longan fruit is a seasonal ingredient, with July and August being the harvest season. Fresh seeds that have been picked, shelled, and dried in the sun are considered commodities and do not require special processing.
There are various ways to consume Longan fruit. It can be steamed, boiled, roasted, candied, or braised. Braising and steeping are the most common methods, and braised dishes are considered a classic way to enjoy Longan fruit.
Braised dishes made with Longan fruit have a rich and mellow taste. It can be used to braise chicken, duck, or pork.
Dishes like "Braised Chicken with Longan Fruit" and "Braised Pork with Longan Fruit" are considered "famous Lingnan dishes" and are special seasonal dishes with local flavors.
Boiled Longan fruit, after cooking and removing the black outer skin and the translucent brownish inner skin, reveals a pale or milky white kernel.
The peeled kernel is soft and white, resembling a small bird's egg. It is delicate and beautiful, with a taste similar to chestnuts. It has a slightly sweet and fragrant flavor, and its texture is more tender and juicy than chestnuts.
