If you want to be in lychee heaven, go to the southern region of Guandong, China.
That’s where lychee trees originated more than 2,000 years ago and still dominate
the forests along rivers and near the coast.
In lieu of China, you could go to other parts of the world where lychee have taken
root, such as the United States (southern parts of Florida, California, Texas),
Australia, and Southeast Asia (Taiwan and Thailand). Or, you could simply hang out
here in Hawai‘i.
Unless you have a tree or know someone with a tree, however, lychee are hard to
get. You may find some at farmers’ markets or in Chinatown, but they’re
quickly snapped up. A report from the University of Hawai‘i’s Department
of Tropical Plant and Soil Science states that lychee are “one of the most
environmentally sensitive fruit trees.” Translation: They’re finicky
and erratic, as they go through cycles of growth and production followed by periods
of dormancy.
Optimal weather conditions (warm, wet spring and summer followed by
cool, dry fall and winter) combined with pruning, fertilizing and irrigating at
the right time in the cycle can help increase fruit production. Yet even when temperamental
trees produce bumper crops during the harvest season (May through August), there’s
never enough fruit to appease lychee fanatics.
Lychee belong to the family Sapindaceae, which includes longan, rambutan,
pulasan, akee (popular in the Caribbean), guarana, and soapberry. One cup of fresh
lychee (flesh only) supplies 125 calories, 2 grams protein, 31 grams carbohydrate,
1 gram fat, and 2 grams fiber. Lychee is a good source of vitamin C – one
cup provides about 135 mg. That’s more than the same amount of strawberries
(89 mg.).
Popular lychee varieties in Hawai‘i include Kaimana, Groff, Hak Ip, Tai So,
and Kwai Mi, the latter two of which are ancient varieties.
Lychee are ready to be picked after their skins turn red. Lychee don’t ripen
off the tree; if picked too early, the fruit is bitter with an unpleasant aftertaste.
Once harvested, break the lychee off the panicle and leave a little bit of stem
attached. (The skin may break if the stem is pulled off, resulting in dehydration
and possible spoilage.) The red skin will turn reddish-brown in a few days. To preserve
its red glow and fresh flavor, store freshly picked lychee in plastic bags in the
refrigerator for up to two weeks … if they’re not gobbled up before
then.