How to Eat Lychee

Choose ripe lychee. Look for firm fruits that yield slightly when pressed but aren’t mushy or leaking. A relatively smooth outer shell is a good sign, with a slightly bumpy texture rather than prominent spikes. Hard, unripe lychee is edible but lacks sweetness. Wet and soft fruits are overripe and may be fermented (offering a strong, distinct flavor) or spoiled (unpleasant). Fruits with bruised or wet shells are usually spoiled.

• Different lychee varieties have varying shell colors, but most turn red, orange, or yellow when ripe. Brown-colored fruits are often spoiled.

Peel the lychee from the stem. Hold the stem and peel off the pink or yellowish-brown skin from one end. The translucent white flesh inside is the edible part. You can hold the lychee over a bowl while peeling to catch any dripping juice.

• If the lychee has been left out for a while, the skin may harden and become tougher to peel. You can use your nails, teeth, or a knife to slit the skin. Soaking the lychee in water can also make peeling easier.
• If the flesh is completely translucent, speckled, or brownish-yellow, the lychee may be fermented or spoiled.

Squeeze or tear the skin. A perfectly ripe lychee has soft skin that easily separates from the flesh. Gently squeeze the lychee to pop the flesh out. If this doesn’t work, use your fingers to tear the skin into small pieces.

• The skin is not edible. Discard it or compost it.

Remove the seed. Lychees have a large seed in the center. Gently tear the flesh to reveal the shiny brown seed, then discard it. The seed is mildly toxic.

Eat the lychee. Fresh lychee has sweet, crisp, and juicy flesh with a unique flavor that canned lychee can’t match. You can eat it fresh or continue reading for ways to prepare this fruit.

• There’s a thin, slightly brown membrane inside the flesh near the seed. This part is also edible, though slightly crunchier, and doesn’t affect the flavor. Removing it may cause the lychee to lose some of its sweet juice.

Store uneaten lychees. Wrap the bunch in dry paper towels, place them in a perforated plastic bag or a slightly open plastic container. This method keeps them fresh for up to a week, though the skin may turn brown and harden. Discard any discolored fruits.

• If you can’t eat them all at once, freeze unpeeled lychees in a sealed plastic bag. Run warm water over the frozen lychees for 15 seconds, then peel and eat. Partially thawed lychees have a texture similar to lemon sorbet.

Add to fruit salads. This is a perfect summer choice. Lychees lose moisture quickly after peeling, so add them last.

Stuffed lychees. Carefully peel and remove the seed without tearing the flesh. Mix crushed nuts, honey, and/or ginger with a soft cheese like cream cheese or chenna. Gently press the flesh open with your thumb and use a small spoon or chopsticks to stuff the mixture into the lychee.

• You can even stuff savory fillings, such as stir-fried chicken. Ensure ingredients are finely chopped and bake the lychees for 2-3 minutes after stuffing.

Garnish cocktails. Place pitted and skewered lychees on margaritas or other light cocktails. You can also try innovative cocktails like lychee sake martini or a Mad Eye martini variation.

Chop lychees for salsa. Soft and sweet lychees add a unique flavor to tangy or spicy salsa. Try a simple salsa with avocado, lychee, and red onion as a topping.

Use lychee in hot dishes. To prepare lychee chicken or another savory dish, add lychee to a stir-fry or roast for a few minutes before finishing the dish. Lychee pairs well with cinnamon, ginger, or honey.

• Store-bought lychees are often old and not well-preserved. Ask when they were stocked or look for small growers who can deliver directly to customers.
• If the fruit inside doesn’t match the description in this article, you might have a lychee relative like rambutan, longan, quenette, or pulasan.
• Some fruits that aren’t fully pollinated develop thin, “chicken tongue” seeds. If you find one, consider yourself lucky – the extra space is filled with more flesh.
• Lychees are also available dried or canned.

• If the flesh inside the lychee is yellow, it’s old and should not be eaten.
• Lychee seeds are mildly toxic to humans and animals. Do not swallow the seeds.

• Knife (optional)
• Sink/paper towels
• Lychees