Longan

November 15th, 2009 | Fruit Maven

If you like to do that “party trick” where you say, “Hey! Look at this!” and you flip your eyelid back so it looks really gross and scares little kids, then this is the fruit for you!

APPEARANCE

Grape size balls with rough scaly green and brown skin, flesh is translucent with a large chestnut colored seed.

AROMA

Medicinal.

TEXTURE

Very gelatinous and gooey.

TASTE

Boozy, earthy and slightly medicinal. Vaguely reminiscent of sweet bean paste.

OVERALL

I don’t like it, but I keep eating it. It’s weird because I don’t really recommend it except that it is unusual and kind of creepy looking, which means I want everyone I know to try it – but do I think it is “good”? Well, no. Not really. And yet I have purchased it three weeks in a row. It is compelling and boozy and weird. You should try it. Definitely. But don’t say I didn’t warn you because I did. Also, don’t taste red wine right afterward because it seriously changes the taste and not in any good way.

FRUIT

Longan

VARIETY

Unknown

PEAK

All Year

ORIGIN

Southern China

GROWN

Creekside Tropicals

California

PURCHASED

Farmer’s Market

NOTES

Similar to the lychee. Also called Cat’s Eye and Dragon’s Eye. They can be frozen in their skins. This would make another great halloween fruit. I cannot wait until next year to peel these and have them floating in a punch bowl.

Can. Not. Wait. So creepy.