How to Eat a Lychee

A lychee is a small, succulent fruit with Asian origins. Its bright red, bumpy exterior conceals the whitish or pink-colored translucent flesh within. Lychee flesh is similar in consistency to a grape, but it tastes sweeter and more exotic. Growers pick lychees at the height of ripeness, and the fruit will not further ripen on the shelf, so if you buy lychees, eat them immediately.

Instructions

1. Wash off the exterior of the lychee.

2. Puncture the bumpy shell in one of 3 ways: pierce a small portion of the shell with your fingernail, use your teeth to bite a small portion off near the stem or use a knife to pierce the shell.

3. Squeeze the outside of the pierced shell so that the interior flesh pops into your mouth.

4. Carefully chew the flesh off of the seed. Discard the seed and peel.

Tips & Warnings

• Ripe lychee skin is raspberry red and feels moist when you pierce it and pull it away from the interior flesh. Eat lychees while they are ripe or they will dry out and become unappetizing.

• Lychees are an excellent source of Vitamin C.

• Lychees are useful in a variety of recipes including as toppings on ice cream, as a fruit base for martinis and as the fruit component in jams and jellies.

• Lychee seeds are rather large and present a choking hazard. Eat them carefully being sure to discard the seed.