Lychee fruit - beneficial properties of Chinese plum. Flavor matters

LYCHI AND OTHERS
Informative walk through the Bangkok fruit market

The Sapindaceae family is very numerous and diverse. It includes more than 2000 species of 150 genera of various plants: trees, bushes and even herbs growing in hot subtropical and tropical climates. Most species of this family originate from Asia. The forms of these plants are also very diverse - these are palm-shaped trees and tree vines Sejania And - the famous guarana, these are huge 60-meter trees Schleschesa oleasa And Pometia pinnata- Fijian longan.

But the most famous, useful and attractive are plants belonging to the subfamily lychee (Nepheleae): that is, the lychee himself ( Litchi chinensis) and its closest relatives: longan ( ), rambutan ( ) and pulasan ( ). These trees with tasty edible fruits are in many ways similar to each other, however, the structure of their fruits is different, and their requirements for environmental conditions are somewhat different.

Previously, all these exquisite exotic fruits and fruits were something inaccessible, almost fabulous, accessible only to botanical scientists and vagrant sailors. However, today the distances between countries and continents are rapidly shrinking - the development of transport and information technology makes us feel that, in general, we are all children of one, not so big, planet. What rare lucky people used to talk about, which seemed hidden behind the blue haze of a dream, is now becoming a reality, accessible to almost everyone. More and more people are touching a miracle that makes the heart tremble and cloud the brain with delight. This is a miracle journey! A journey that makes it possible to meet the hitherto unknown.

Take the flower market for example.
Chatuchak in Bangkok

and all the rest of the tropical grace ..

Today we will make our next virtual journey and go to Southeast Asia, to Thailand. Let's leave for a while the traditional tourist routes: palaces, pagodas and night shows. Let's try to feel at least a little like Thais, and for starters, let's go to the bazaar.

Fabulous oriental bazaars! Their diversity defies imagination, one can talk about them endlessly, they are unique and amazing. There are many of them, they are big and small, they are very different.

And this is the floating bazaar Damnoen Saduak, it sells everything your heart desires.

But we will go to the fruit and vegetable market, see and taste at least a part of what this blessed land is rich in.

A little dizzy from spicy, sweet, burning, and sometimes not entirely clear smells.

Variety of fruit rows - mango, durian, mangosteen, longin, kumkat, rambutan, carambola and God is all that, incomprehensible and attractive! Something familiar attracts the eye: it is a lychee. Well, let's start with them.

Acquaintance first: LYCHI - A SYMBOL OF LOVE AND Dignity

Europe was first introduced to lychee by Pierre Sonnera ( Pierre Sonnerat,1748-1814), French botanist and traveler. Returning after a long trip to China and Southeast Asia, the scientist brought not only exotic plants, but also a detailed scientific description of many of them. The Europeans liked the exotic fruit and, in 1764, the first plantation of lychee was laid on the island of Reunion by an enthusiastic engineer, the future Minister of the Colonies of France, Joseph-Francois Charpentier de Cossigny de Palma (J oseph-Francois Charpentier de Cossigny de Palma, 1736-1809), and a little later, lychee plantations appeared in Madagascar, which for many years became the main supplier of these fruits.

lychee

Gradually, the range of the plant expanded and, having firmly established itself in southern Japan, India, Burma, Madagascar, lychee triumphantly took its niche in South Africa, Australia, and then on the American continent - in the southern states of the USA, Honduras, Brazil.

The lychee tree (Litchi chinensis) is native to southern China and has been carefully cultivated and eaten for over 2,000 years. The earliest mention of lychee in Chinese historical records dates back to the Tang Dynasty (59 AD). According to legend, a flattering courtier stumbled over the roots of a lychee tree, was surprised and, out of curiosity, tasted its pink-red fruits. And when I tried it, I was delighted with their delicate taste. He immediately rushed to the palace with all his might to be the first to notify the emperor of his discovery.

The wonderful fruit of the lychee became the favorite fruit of the emperor's concubine Yan Kui-fei. The emperor sent a whole army of 600 people to the other end of the Celestial Empire to deliver these fruits to her.

However, Vietnam also claims the right to be considered the birthplace of lychee, whose climate in the north is very mild: winters are short, dry and warm, and summers are long, hot and humid. In Vietnam, there is even a legend about how lychee came to China - this is one of the kings of the May dynasty who sent delicious fruits as a gift to the Chinese emperor. The gift was liked, and the emperor ordered to plant lychee trees in his country in large numbers.

Litchi chinensis seedling
subsp.chinensis with six leaves

So what is it, a lychee tree?

The lychee tree with its dense rounded crown and gray smooth trunk is very beautiful. Under ideal conditions, it can grow up to 12 meters, however, most often the trees are much lower.

The lychee prefers subtropical and even rather tropical climates, and can tolerate some cold spells but cannot tolerate frost. Some varieties can tolerate individual frosts down to -4C, provided that in summer the air temperature is as hot as possible, accompanied by showers and high humidity. Lychee grows best in well-drained, acidic soil rich in organic matter.

The lychee has a dense abundant crown and low-growing branches. Lychee leaves are leathery, each leaf is divided into several leaflets. Young leaves are reddish, then they become shiny, bright green.

It is by the leaves that one can distinguish two main types of lychee at a glance. Lychee Chinese (Litchichinensis subsp. Withhinensis) widely distributed in China and Indochina. It is characterized by leaves with 4-8 (very rarely with two) leaflets.

In the Philippine lychee ( Litchichinensis subsp. philippinensis), growing in the Philippine Islands, in Indonesia and on the island of Papua New Guinea, the leaves are divided into only 2-4 leaflets. The fruit of the Philippine lychee is oval, it is covered with a tough prickly peel. When the fruit is fully ripe, the peel bursts, partially exposing the pulp. This lychee has a rare subspecies - Javanese lychee (Litchi javensis) with a characteristic thin skin.

Despite the fact that, collected in panicles at the ends of the branches, the lychee flowers are very small, greenish-yellow and without petals, in spring it is simply impossible to take your eyes off the flowering tree - huge scatterings of flowers adorn it from the lowest branches to the top. And the lychee tree strewn with ripe fruits is an amazing sight!

Lychee flowers are bisexual and often the flowering time of male and female flowers does not coincide - on some trees panicles with male flowers appear and develop earlier than female ones. Thus, the possibility of maximum pollination of female flowers and obtaining a good harvest of fruits is directly due to their natural pollinators - bees, which transfer pollen from male flowers to female flowers during the entire flowering period of the tree.

It takes about 140 days from the end of flowering to the full ripening of lychee fruits, and then, for about six weeks, there is an active harvest. Lychee fruits are considered ready for harvest when the ripening fruit changes its color, turning from light green to bright red. Usually, the fruits begin to be removed as soon as they begin to turn red.

Lychee fruits are harvested by cutting or breaking off the whole bunch and then cutting off the fruits from it. Such a collection takes a lot of time and requires a lot of effort. After harvesting, the fruits are immediately taken to the shade and, after immediate sorting and packaging, are sent for sale or processing.

Depending on the place of growth, the average yield taken from one lychee tree ranges from 10-50 kg in relatively cool regions, to 125-130 kg in the south.

Lychee fruits are small - no more than 2-3 cm in diameter, they can be, depending on the variety, oval, heart-shaped or round. The fruits are covered with a rough, coarse-grained strawberry-pink or reddish-brown skin called a pedicarp. The peeled lychee peel is a bit like an eggshell taken from a hard-boiled egg in its structure - it breaks easily and is covered with a smooth film on the inside.

The flesh of the fruit is hidden under the skin. It is whitish, translucent, somewhat reminiscent of frosted glass or a peeled grape. It is deliciously delicious: sweet, juicy, aromatic. A fairly large seed is hidden in the pulp, resembling a small acorn in color and shape.

Seed size can vary greatly. Lychee fruits containing semi-atrophied seeds are considered the most valuable; the local population calls it "chicken's tongue". Also, lychee fruits differ in the quality of the peel: there are “wet varieties” - if the peel is damaged, juice flows out of such fruits, and “dry” ones - they are not in danger of such a danger, and therefore the quality does not suffer.

Lychees are eaten fresh and frozen. When frozen, the peel becomes dark brown, but this does not affect the taste - the lychee remains juicy and tasty. They are also sold canned, and sometimes dried along with the peel. Such dried fruits are called "litchi nuts".

Lychee fruits are not only tasty, they are a real source of benefit: 100 grams contain 44 grams of the most useful vegetable fats-lipids, 10 mg of magnesium, 5 mg of calcium, 31 mg of phosphorus, 171 mg of potassium, 72 mg of vitamin C and 16 g of fructose.

The Chinese say: "one lychee is equal to three torches of fire", believing that the Yang energy is maximally expressed in it - the energy of strength, light and creation, the powerful energy of fire and wind. For a long time, litchi have been considered a symbol of love and dignity.

What is not made from lychee in Southeast Asia! This and jam, which most fully conveys the taste and aroma of fresh fruits, is a syrup made from fruit juice. On the basis of this syrup, a liquor is made, which is drunk as an independent drink and added to cocktails. The lychee is mashed with 90 percent lychee pulp and 10 percent sugar. Puree is used in the preparation of sherbet, fruit drinks and ice cream. In Madagascar, lychee puree is used in cosmetics - it is part of the soap for softening hands. And the spicy-sweet sauce made from chili peppers and lychee puree gives any dish an absolutely exotic taste! Fish and poultry are stewed in this sauce, pieces of meat and vegetables are dipped in it. Honey has a very special taste and smell, which bees prepare from nectar collected from lychee flowers, moreover, this honey is very healing.

In China, traditional healers have used litchi since ancient times in the treatment of gastritis and enlargement of the lymph glands, lychee seeds have the ability to relieve neuralgic pain. Gargling with a decoction of lychee roots, bark and flowers is excellent for sore throats.

Lychee is a very slow growing tree, in addition, for its effective reproduction, you need to know some tricks, otherwise success will not be achieved. For example, it is not recommended to propagate it by seeds - seedlings obtained from seeds develop very poorly and do not always inherit the qualities inherent in their parents. In addition, they begin to bear fruit much later. Some varieties of lychee are germinated specifically in order to use the seedling as a rootstock. Lychee is propagated vegetatively by air layering or by grafting onto a rootstock seedling. When propagated by grafting, the main root of the plant will form strong, capable of holding the tree under any climatic influences, but there is a problem here too - the percentage of rejection of grafts is quite high. The most successful way to propagate lychee is to obtain air layering, it is often used in industrial breeding.

When caring for a lychee tree, pruning is usually not applied, except perhaps in the first two years of the plant's life, in order to give the tree a neat shape. Regular pruning can only be used in case of pest infestation or plant disease. Hard pruning is generally unacceptable, as it stimulates the abundant growth of vegetative shoots to the detriment of the formation of flower panicles.

Lychees can be fed with compost, manure and mineral fertilizers. Regular fertilization prevents soil depletion, promotes more abundant flowering and the formation of better quality fruits.

When planting a lychee, the plant must be thoroughly watered to make it easier for the roots to come into contact with the soil. Then watering is done as needed.

Lychee has many varieties and cultivars. The most famous and beloved are three famous varieties:

1. Hanging Green- the most famous (and rarest) representative of the genus lychee got its name because of the light green hue and a barely noticeable green line on the skin of the fruit. Ancient chronicles describe the taste of Hanging Green: " even three days after peeling, it remains fresh and crunchy like a pear, but without juice.. For centuries, the harvest of these fruits was an obligatory tribute paid to the Chinese emperor by his subjects.

2. Sticky rice balls. The variety is named for its thick, firm flesh and sweet, honey-like taste. The red skin is firm but not rough, and the seed is smaller than other lychee varieties, some fruits have no seed at all.

3. Title Sweet Osmanthus assigned to a lychee variety that has a bright red, very bumpy peel and the smell of sweet osmanthus - one of the most beloved trees in China (). These fruits are sweet and crunchy in taste. This variety has a close relative - the Green Yatu cultivar, whose fruit peel is covered with dark green specks.

Other popular lychee varieties include:

Baila (Baila);
Baitangen;
Black leaf - this cultivar ripens earlier than other varieties, its fruits are fleshy, and the peel secretes a juice that looks like red ink;
Huaichi, which means in Chinese, "bunches of fruit in the hands of a man." This name, presumably, was given to the cultivar after traveling through the province of Canton, the ruler of China held branches strewn with lychee fruits, presented to him by local residents, all the way;
March red (March red) - the earliest variety of lychee, by May its fruits are ready for harvest;
The Concubine Smiles is a legendary lychee variety known since the Tang era; it was his concubine Yan Kui-fei who rejoiced at its fruits. This variety is characterized by early ripening of fruits and a peel that releases red juice.

Many varieties, many fruits, many mysterious charms of southern nature and fabulous stories of the past .. But the Chinese would not have been Chinese if they had not come up with another Chinese secret - how to conserve a moment, how to prolong the enjoyment of beautiful fruits.

That secret is tea, another magical drink that mixes traditional loose-leaf black tea with bits of lychee peel.

The fragrant drink surprises the nose with the sudden smell of grapefruit, and the lips with a pleasant sweet aftertaste of lychee juice conveyed by pieces of peel. Such tea is called Kongou, it is good not only hot, it is perfectly refreshing on a hot day, being served cold with a piece of ice.

And you can also prepare a luxurious aperitif - martini with lychee, the so-called saketini. To do this, you need to take 150 grams of sake, 2 tablespoons of lychee syrup, a little dry vermouth and broken ice. All these ingredients are thoroughly mixed in a shaker, poured into glasses, and then the glass with a drink is decorated with a peeled lychee fruit. Try it - you won't regret it!

And be sure to plant a lychee in your place - he will give you his love and protect your dignity, he will be your most faithful friend.

It looks like a green oblong ball with thorns, which grows on large trees. The average fruit weight is up to 3 kg, length is up to 30 cm. In its homeland - in Thailand, Malaysia and other countries of the region - it is forbidden to bring durian to most public places. There are even special plates with a crossed-out image of fruit.

Attention! The fetid smell of durian is very persistent. It will take several days to get it out of the room.

Eyewitnesses claim that the aroma of this exotic curiosity is similar to the smell:

dead meat;
rotten onions, meat or eggs;
sewerage;
dirty socks.

Sometimes it is difficult for people to determine exactly how this fruit “smells” the first time. They may name a combination of different unpleasant odors or associate it with personal associations. Why are durians eaten? The fact is that its pulp has an amazing taste. In addition, she is very helpful.

It is not easy for beginners to overcome the first impression that the smell creates and try the core. You can buy only the pulp, but at the same time lose in the freshness that only a freshly fallen fruit gives. There is also a compromise option - a special variety of durian. It does not have such a strong aroma, but in terms of taste it is not inferior to its counterparts.

Attention! Due to the smell, the fruits are not subject to long-term storage and transportation. Therefore, far outside of Southeast Asia, it is not easy to buy durian in a whole version.

What do mafai, rambutan and lychee smell like

These representatives of the exotic Asian family are original in their own way:

Lychee also called the dragon's eye, Chinese plum or heavenly grapes. The fruit ripens in clusters and is red in color and round in shape with many small tubercles. In color and consistency, its interior is similar to grape pulp. The bone is oblong. It is the core of the fruit that emits a specific aroma.

The smell of lychee is not assessed as unpleasant, but as peculiar, delicate and indescribable with the help of other, familiar epithets. However, the world's leading perfumers use the fragrance in some perfumes. The taste of lychee is tart-sweet.

Hairy rambutan fruit able to surprise with its appearance. Inside it is white pulp and a bone. The fruit itself does not have a pronounced aroma, but 40% consists of oils, which emit a pleasant smell when heated. Therefore, rambutan is popular with cosmetologists - they make creams, soaps and other products from it. Scented candles are also made from the elements of the fruit.

thai fruit mafai or Burmese grapes - an infrequent guest on the shelves, even in their homeland. The smell of these fruits resembles ordinary grapes. Mafai grows in clusters. Its color range is from cream to rich red. Inside the slices is the pulp. It tastes slightly sour, which is why the fruit has not received such distribution as some other exotic fruits.

Among the overseas, the most disgusting in smell and at the same time contradictory in terms of the ratio of aroma and taste is only durian. Other fruits also become objects of gourmet attention, but are moderate in their qualities. It is important to remember that when eating any exotic fruit, nutritionists and doctors recommend not to overdo it and not to mix the meal with alcohol. Foods that are unaccustomed to the stomach can cause its disorder or more serious diseases.

Unusual fruits: video

Lychee is one of the ten healthiest fruits in Southeast Asia. Its homeland is South China, thanks to which its name has several variants - “fox”, “Chinese plum”, “liji”.
For its unusual appearance, the fruit was given a second name - "dragon's eye". Outside, it has a scaly peel of red-brown color, and inside it has a translucent jelly pulp, which contains a very large black bone. Just like the eye of a strange beast. The fruit is round in shape with a diameter of 2 to 5 cm and weighs only 10–25 grams.

Lychee grows in small clusters on tall trees (similar to willow), which reach 10-20 meters. More than 100 varieties of this fruit are known. Its ripening ranges between late spring and mid-summer. The first fruits of lychee appear even when there are no fruits on the markets, and therefore they are highly valued.
Taste and smell of lychee.

Lychee almost melts in the mouth, its taste is similar to jelly made from rose petals, it is slightly sour. Some compare it to grapes and others to strawberries. Combining all the reviews, we can say that lychee is a mixture of berries, a kind of fruit cocktail. The aroma of the fruit is sugary-sweet, reminiscent of the smell of rose petals.

From the history…

Surprisingly, lychee is a very ancient fruit. There are facts that the Chinese used it for food as early as the 2nd century BC. e. And later they were even used as a local currency. Gradually, it spread to other Asian countries. It appeared in Europe only in the 17th century. The French were the first to grow it here, thanks to the traveler and botanist Pierre Sonner. It was he who brought this exotic fruit and its scientific description from a trip to Southeast Asia. And the first lychee plantation was laid by Joseph - Francois Charpentier de Cassigny (enthusiast - engineer) on the island of Reunion.

Lychee legends

Lychee, like many other fruits, has its own legends.

One of them says that in ancient times, a servant of a famous Chinese dynasty stumbled while walking past a lychee tree on its roots. Seeing unusual fruits, he decided to try them. He liked the taste very much, and the servant brought the fruit to his emperor. After that, the lychee became the favorite delicacy of the concubine of the great ruler. And so that she could always get fresh fruits, the emperor started a special army of messengers who every morning went to the other end of the state, plucked lychee and quickly returned back.

According to the second legend, a very severe emperor ruled in ancient times in the northern province of China. In one of his travels to the southern edges of the country, he came across an amazing fruit and tasted it. The taste reminded him of a plum, only it was much softer and more fragrant. The emperor wanted to grow lychees on his lands and entrusted this work to gardeners. But they could not cope with this task, then the lord ordered to execute them. And in the place where the blood was shed, a lychee tree suddenly grew, and its bright red fruits, like drops of blood, always reminded the emperor of what happened.

How to choose a lychee

The best time to buy fresh fruit is May-June, when there is a high probability of tasting the most delicious lychee. When choosing a fruit, first of all, you need to pay attention to its peel, more precisely, to its color. If it is very dark, the fruit was plucked a long time ago and its taste will already be completely unpleasant. Fresh lychee should have a rich red skin that is quite firm to the touch. It is also necessary to pay attention to the fact that the fruit itself is whole, without cracks. The smell of a ripe fruit should be delicate, vaguely reminiscent of rose petals, and spoiled has a sharp and not very good aroma. Be sure to check that the lychee does not have mold spots and small black dots on the peel, this indicates that there may be worms inside. And finally, finally, you need to shake the fruit, the fresh one should have a characteristic tapping inside.

How to eat lychee

You must first wash and remove the peel from the fruit, this can be done very quickly and easily. Put the pulp on a saucer, remove the bone and you can proceed to the test.
No less appetizing will be the tasting of dried, canned and frozen fruit. It is delicious in all its forms. And by adding fruits to a glass of champagne, you can get a wonderful drink.
When eating fruit, you should be aware of its poor combination with foods such as bananas, starch, pastries from white flour varieties. Their combined use can cause severe flatulence (gas formation).

How to store lychee

Lychee can be kept at room temperature for about three days, after which it will begin to deteriorate. But in a cool place, at a temperature of 1-7 degrees, you can store the fruit for several months. And among the Chinese, there is the following way of keeping it - in a salted form inside bamboo stalks. Also in the countries of the East, lychee is dried whole with a peel, while the taste does not deteriorate at all. Such fruits are called litchi nuts.

Composition, benefits of litchi

The calorie content of the product is quite low 65 kcal per 100 grams. Carbohydrates make up the main percentage of its energy value. Due to this, the fruit is very sweet and very satisfying. Lychee contains vitamins C, PP, K and B valuable for the human body, as well as minerals - magnesium, iron, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, iodine and copper. Nicotinic acid, which is part of the fruit, is an active obstacle to the development of atherosclerosis. This disease has been called the "plague of the 20th century" by scientists, as it is the main cause of heart attack and stroke. It is precisely because lychee is very widespread in the countries of Southeast Asia that people are less susceptible to it. Eating fruit is useful for anemia, various cardiovascular diseases, gastritis, peptic ulcers, those who have high cholesterol, have liver problems. Litchi helps to normalize the work of the stomach and intestines, helps to reduce weight. Another "dragon's eye" is considered an excellent aphrodisiac, tones the body, and even quenches thirst.

In Eastern countries, healers use lychee in combination with other herbal medicines to fight cancer. A decoction is made from its skin, which is able to prevent the accumulation of fluid in the tissues, fight edema, and increase the tone of the human body.

One of the amazing properties of litchi is the ability to normalize blood sugar levels. To do this, it is enough to eat about 10 fruits.
Oriental medicine has found application for this fruit in the treatment of diseases of the kidneys, lungs and respiratory tract.

Lychee application

The culinary use of lychee is very diverse. It is used as a dessert, jelly, salads, fruit wine, carbonated drinks, fresh juices and delicious ice cream. They make stuffing from lychee and add it to pies, buns, pies and cakes. In addition, this fruit goes very well with fish dishes. A special sweet and sour sauce is prepared from it, which is served with meat, pates. The seeds of the fruit can be eaten roasted. And the peel of the lychee is used to make tea, crushed and mixed with black leaf. Such a drink has a magical smell, delicate taste and tones up in hot weather.

In cosmetology, an extract of the miraculous fruit is used. It is obtained only in specially designed laboratories; it is almost impossible to do this at home. But it is easy to purchase, since cosmetic companies very often include this product in their hair, face and hand skin care products. Lychee extract is very beneficial for dry, sensitive skin. It moisturizes and makes it softer. Very often, the extract is included in anti-aging creams, because it has the ability to fight the aging process and skin aging. In addition, the product is rich in antioxidants and mineral salts, which have a moisturizing, healing and soothing effect. Scientists have also proven that this extract is able to protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet rays and keep its water balance normal.

Lychee harm

This fruit can bring harm when overeating it. In this case, an upset intestine and strong gas formation occur in the body. With abundant use of litchi, a person may experience nosebleeds, sores in the mouth, as lychee irritates the mucous membrane, dry lips.

Interesting Lychee Facts

In ancient times, lychees were considered the fruit of rich and noble people, the poor only collected fruits from trees and transported them, and even the slightest sample of the fruit was punishable by death.
India is a country that called lychee the “fruit of love” and has used it as a powerful aphrodisiac since its appearance on its territory. About the exciting qualities of the “dragon's eye”, the proverb “One lychee is equal to three burning torches” was even invented. And in China there is a special wine made from the fruits of the fruit, the name of which in translation means "disturbing the soul, awakening love." In ancient times, in the east, lychee was used as a love potion.
In Thailand, there is a small northern province of Chiang Rai. The most interesting show "Lychee Festival" is held here every year. It coincides with the harvest time of the fruit. At this time, fairs are held on the streets of the town, all kinds of musical performances and even a competition for the choice of the beauty "Miss Lychee".

The article will tell in detail about the benefits and features of eating such an exotic fruit as lychee.

Lychee is an exotic fruit that grows on a tree that can reach up to 25-30 meters in height. The shape of the fruit is similar to an egg, the surface is pimply and has a bright red color. The diameter of the fruit is small, only 3-4 centimeters.

Lychee is a berry with white flesh inside. The center of the berry is very soft and juicy. Inside the pulp there is a bone of an elongated brown color. The taste of ripe lychee pulp is very pleasant and somewhat reminiscent of cherries, very fresh, sweet and with a slight sour tinge.

This tree grows mainly in the subtropics: China (southern part), South America, Africa, Japan. The berry is very popular and is exported almost all over the world. The berry is in demand not only for its unusual taste, but also for its incredible benefits. The berry is stored for a very long time, and therefore it is convenient to transport it.

Lychee is a dietary and low-calorie product. 100 g of berries contain no more than 70 calories. Lychees are allowed for consumption by almost everyone, those who do not follow the figure and those who adhere to a healthy, as well as dietary diet.

Lychee: berry, seed, pulp, peel

lychee tree

lychee berry

How does lychee grow?

ripe lychee

Lychee fruit - fruits, seeds, peel: composition, vitamins, beneficial properties and contraindications for the body of women, men

The benefits of lychee lie in its rich biochemical composition, which can have a healing and healing property on the body. There are a lot of vitamins and minerals in lychee, the most important are:

B vitamins- improve metabolic processes in the body.
Vitamin E- improve the condition of hair, nails and skin, remove toxins.
Vitamin C- strengthens the immune system
Vitamin H- helps digest protein
Vitamin K- improves blood clotting

Trace elements - minerals:

Potassium- necessary to ensure the normal functioning of all soft tissues in the body.
Sodium- participates in enzymatic processes and muscle contraction.
Fluorine- strengthens tooth enamel
Iodine- Improves thyroid function
Chlorine- regulates the water-alkaline balance in the body
Iron- improves blood quality by increasing hemoglobin
Manganese Needed for the normal formation of bone structure.
Selenium- is a key link in many metabolic chains of the body.
Sulfur- actively helps the body fight harmful bacteria.

For those who have never encountered lychee, it is important to know that the peel of this fruit is completely unsuitable for food. Remove the skin carefully with a knife. After that, you should remove the bone from the pulp with the same knife, since it is quite large and it is inconvenient to eat lychee with a bone, it is easily removed.

In Asia, eating litchi is not accepted by hand. Lychee pulp is put in one plate, eaten with a spoon or fork, because it is jelly-like in structure. So it will not be possible to get dirty with pulp juice. Lychees are often eaten not only fresh, but even dried and canned. For those who can easily get lychee every day, you can make lychee smoothies or puree. In some countries, lychee is dried with the skin on.

IMPORTANT: It should be noted that lychee contains quite a few calories, which means that the berry is not considered a dietary product. 100 g of fruit contains up to 70 kcal and litchi should be eaten in limited quantities. However, the composition of the lychee is very useful and favorably affects the process of weight loss in reasonable quantities.

In Asian countries, litchi is considered a product that is very beneficial for men's health, because its effect on "sexual function" has not gone unnoticed. Apparently, this is why litchi is often called the “fruit of love” in many sources. In China, for example, not a single wedding table is complete without a full dish of fresh lychees, because this will “help” make the first wedding night fruitful and successful marriage.

IMPORTANT: In Asian countries, lychee is often used in traditional medicine recipes for the preparation of medicines that relieve high blood cholesterol levels and diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as the prevention of atherosclerosis.

What are the benefits of lychee for men?

Lychee fruit - fruits, seeds, peel: useful properties and contraindications for pregnant women and breastfeeding

Lychee has a unique biochemical composition. Lychee contains a lot of organic acids and fiber. This has a positive effect on intestinal motility. In addition, there are a lot of minerals useful for a woman in lychee: potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, which favorably affect the process of menstruation (reduces pain and spasms, prevents emotional overexcitation and mood swings.

Other positive properties of lychee:

Lychee pulp contains Omega-3, this element eliminates pain during PMS.
Pectins, which are very abundant in lychee, are able to remove accumulated toxins and toxins from the intestines from the body.
Lychee contains choline, which is very useful for women who regularly experience stress. Choline has a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
Lychee contains folic acid, which not only improves the immune system, but also has a beneficial effect on the beauty of nails, skin, and hair. Substances such as lysine, tryptophan, methonine help filic acid.
Nicotinic acid favorably affects the health of women during menopause.

IMPORTANT: You can’t eat lychee with a bone, especially on an empty stomach. In its raw form, the stone is very poisonous and can bring adverse effects.

IMPORTANT: You should also pay attention to how your body perceives litchi, whether there are any allergies: rash, itching, redness of the skin and other symptoms.

Lychee in the diet of pregnant women should not be present often. You can afford no more than 10 fruits per day, if there is no allergic reaction or contraindications. During pregnancy, lychee can be useful in eliminating bowel problems and saturating the body with essential vitamins and minerals.

Lychee acidity will help a woman in a position to cope with toxicosis and a feeling of nausea. In addition, the diuretic property of lychee helps to eliminate excessive swelling during pregnancy (especially on the limbs) by “driving out” water. This is very important in the second and third trimester of pregnancy.

IMPORTANT: There should be litchi in small processes. It is known that in the early stages of pregnancy, an accelerated metabolism (which is affected by the fetus) can lead to spontaneous miscarriage (but in very rare cases).

During lactation, lychee is useful in that nicotinic acid (there is a lot of it in lychee) helps to improve milk flow (due to the activation of the hormone prolactin). Fruit should be eaten approximately 30-45 minutes before feeding the baby. Be careful if the baby is currently undergoing a period of formation of the intestinal microflora (the so-called "colic"), you should not eat lychees - they can provoke increased gas formation, both in the mother and in the child himself. In other cases, lychees will saturate the milk with important vitamins.

IMPORTANT: While breastfeeding, do not exceed the daily intake of fruits, namely - 5 pieces per day.

Can pregnant and lactating women eat lychee?

Lychee fruit: benefits for children, at what age can a child be given?

Lychee is an exotic fruit and therefore it is necessary to take into account the fact that, unlike the usual food, it can be allergic. It is best to let the child try the rays not earlier than 3 years of age. One fruit for the "sample" will be enough. It is better not to give lychee to children at a young and infancy, as it can provoke excessive bloating and colic.

How to take lychee fruit for weight loss, what is its calorie content?

Lychee calorie content can reach 70 kcal per 100 grams, depending on the maturity of the fruit.

Lychee is often used as a weight loss aid. The fruit really helps to eliminate troubles with the work of the intestines and get rid of excess water, but it should be eaten in limited quantities so as not to disturb the body's daily calorie intake.

Fruit, lychee berry: how to choose the right ripe one?

Ripe lychee is chosen for a number of reasons:

Fruit size (not less than 3 cm, not more than 4 cm)
Peel of the fruit is pimply
The skin of the fruit may be slightly prickly.
The skin has a rich red color
When you press the skin, it can bend and even burst, and then return to its previous shape.
The ripe fruit has a pleasant sweetish aroma.

Fruit, lychee berry: how to clean and eat?

It will be possible to cut the lychee only with a very sharp and thin knife, similar to a blade. If you try to cut the lychee with another knife, you risk squeezing the juice out of it and damaging the flesh. The skin should only be slightly pierced and cut in a straight line along the diameter.

The bone is removed from the fetus in two ways:

Or cut the pulp in half and get the bone
Simply squeeze out the pit by pressing on the pulp

How to clean and eat lychee?

Chinese lychee plum: are the seeds edible, are they poisonous, what will happen if you eat a lychee bone?

The lychee stone is toxic, but only if eaten raw. If you dry it or make a decoction out of it, you can eat a bone. The litchi bone contains a number of useful vitamins, minerals and amino acids that have a diuretic effect on the body. In some countries, you can find lychee, which is called "Chinese plum". The stone of this fruit is fried in oil and served with spices as a prepared dish.

Lychee fruit - fruits, seeds, peel: what helps?

The pit and skin of the lychee is not used for ischu consumption, but often serves as the basis for the preparation of medicines. The bone, for example, contains a concentrated amount of useful trace elements. The bone can be boiled, or it can be dried and ground into powder. Such funds are popular in Asian countries as a powerful pain reliever.

Often the remedy is used in the treatment of:

Neuralgic diseases
Intestinal diseases
metabolic diseases
Orchita

IMPORTANT: You should take into account the fact that with excessive use of decoctions and medicines prepared on the basis of peel and bone, it can have the opposite effect and “give” toxic poisoning.

How to prepare a decoction and infusion of lychee peel, how and from what to apply?

Decoction and infusion of lychee - a well-known remedy for the treatment neuralgic diseases:

Apathy
Depression
Insomnia
Excessive irritability and emotionality
Tearfulness

IMPORTANT: In addition, a decoction of the peel is often used to treat cardiovascular diseases and as a prophylaxis of atherosclerosis.

How to prepare a decoction:

Put the washed peel into a bowl.
fill with water
Bring to a boil, turn down the heat
Cover with a lid
Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes
Let the decoction brew for another 20 minutes
Take 1-2 tbsp. before meals twice a day.

How to make an infusion:

In a liter jar, put the peel of lychee fruits (necessarily washed beforehand).
Fill the peel with a liter of vodka or alcohol (per liter jar).
Insist in a dark place for a week, shaking the jar every day, rearrange for storage in the refrigerator.

Can you eat lychee fruit for gout?

The use of litchi can harm a person, for example, if he has a disease such as gout. You should be aware that a large amount of carbohydrates in lychee can cause a feeling of heaviness in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as increased gas formation and pain in the stomach.

How to eat lychee and when not to eat it?

Is there an allergy to the lychee berry?

Allergy to lychee can occur, especially in those who have a strong sensitivity to various components. Lychee should be consumed in reasonable quantities, one fruit per day is useful for a “test”, and only 3 fruits is the daily nome of a person.

Lychee essential oil: properties and uses

Litchi essential oil is widely used as an adjuvant for prolonging the beauty and youth of the body. The oil is often used as an additive to caring cosmetics. The oil helps to make hair shiny and smooth, strengthens its growth and makes it healthy, restoring the structure. In addition, lychee oil has a delicate, subtle, fresh scent that is often used in aromatherapy to invigorate, energize, and refresh the body.

Lychee syrup: properties and uses

Lychee syrup is a concentrated product made from the pulp and juice of the fruit. The use of syrup is wide. It can be added to alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for a fresh taste. As a standalone remedy, lychee syrup is used as a syrup for coughs and other colds. The syrup gives the body the necessary "portion" of vitamins and strengthens the protective function of the immune system.

Lychee syrup

How to make a drink from lychee?

To prepare a delicious drink, you can use both fresh fruits and lychee syrup. In the case of using syrup, it can simply be dissolved in a carbonated drink, juice, or even water. Fresh lychee pulp should be ground in a blender and mixed with any other liquid. Add sugar or any other syrup to taste and preferences.

How to make lychee salad?

You will need:

Arugula - a handful of lettuce (approximately 50-70 g).
Orange - the pulp of one not large fruit (without zest and chaff).
Cheese "Dor Blue" - 50 g (or another with blue mold).
Apple vinegar - a few drops
Sesame oil - 1-2 tsp
Lychee pulp - 100 g (without peel and pit)
Sesame seeds and spices to taste

Cooking:

Wash the arugula leaves, put them in a dish, season with vinegar and oil, mix.
Peel the orange and fold the fruit fillet on top of the arugula
Arrange the lychee pulp nicely along with the orange
Cheese crumbles with hands on top of fruits
The salad is decorated with sesame seeds, you can once again flavor with vinegar.

Using lychee to make salads

Lychee: how to store and how much?

Lychee is desirable to sit immediately after purchase. The longer you keep it, the worse it gets. Every day, the amount of vitamins "disappears" from the lychee. At room temperature, litchi can be stored for no more than three days.

If the lychee shell is intact, it can be stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks. Pay attention to the peel, if it darkens, the fruit deteriorates. Lychee can be salted, canned or frozen for long term storage.

How to freeze lychee?

Remove the skin from the lychee
Carefully squeeze out the bone
Place the lychee pulp in a plastic bag or food container.
Keep lychee in the freezer for up to a year

Video: “Lychee. Thai fruit, berry

Lychee is known by the names "dragon eye" or "Chinese plum". The fruit is valued for useful micro and macro elements in the composition.

Choosing the right ripe lychee in the store is easy. You need to know what features a ripe fruit has.

How to choose a ripe lychee

There are more than 100 varieties of fruit, but only 15 are popular. Therefore, when buying lychee, pay attention to its variety.

Appearance

Lychee can be of different sizes and colors. However, damage to the skin is unacceptable on all - avoid fruits with dents and scratches. This indicates improper transportation and storage of fruit. Bruises will quickly begin to rot.

Pay attention to the place of the spine - it should be dry. Lychee is often sold with twigs - this increases the shelf life.

Aroma

Ripe lychee smells good. Smell it near the spine. The berry exudes a delicate aroma of roses. If you hear an admixture of other smells, such as chemistry or mold, such a fruit is not worth buying.

Color outside and inside

To determine the color of a ripe lychee, you need to know its variety.

Variety Tai So

It is characterized by ovoid fruits with flat plaques. At the stage of full ripening, the color of the berry is bright red and dull. The pulp is soft translucent.

brivster

The berries are heart shaped and have a thick, soft, bright red skin. The pulp is white sweet.

Hak Yip

It has a purple-red color of the skin. The pulp is crispy, juicy, easily separated from the stone.

wai chii

The berries are round and red in color. The flesh is watery and very sweet. It has a large bone inside, which is why it becomes less popular in the market.

Kwai Mai Pink

It is characterized by spherical berries of orange-pink color. Valued for having one small bone. May be boneless. The pulp is dense, white, fragrant.

Seedles Leith

The berries have a bright brick-red berry color and a small core inside. The fruits are conical, large and oval. The pulp is white with a cream shade, sweet.

Saharanpur

This is an early variety of lychee. Berries can be bright pink or orange.

Bombay

The peculiarity is the second fetus attached to the stalk in an underdeveloped state. The color of the berry is carmine red, the stone and the fruit are large. The flesh is grayish-white, moderately sweet.

Elasticity

Press on the berry - the finger should not leave a deep dent or fall inward. But you should not feel excessive hardness.

The fruit should be of medium hardness - there should be no traces of pressing.

Lychee taste

If you use lychee with your eyes closed, you are unlikely to guess what is in your mouth. The consistency of the fruit is similar to grapes or plums. The taste of lychee is sweet and sour, reminiscent of strawberries and currants together. This fruit also resembles berry-fruit tea.

How to clean lychee

Wash the berries under running water.
Take the berry with both hands and make an incision with a fingernail or knife near the petiole.
Separate the skin from the pulp with your fingers.
Cut the berry in half.
Remove the bone.