Longan AKA Dragon Eye Fruit



Longan in netting, as you find at the store

  Longan (longyan, 龍眼) is a Chinese fruit, related to the lychee. "Long' means 'dragon' and 'an' (or 'ngan' or 'yan') means 'eye.' The fruit is white like the whites of eyes and the pit is pearly black, much like the pupil. It is really sweet and fresh is always best. I find them in stores from time to time and 99 Ranch carries them all the time. They are easier to peel when the fruit is getting older and drying out. Fresh ones are better, but older ones are easier to peel so it's sort of a trade-off. You can peel into them with your thumb. I like using a paring knife to get a good cut. That usually starts it and it rips apart by itself the rest of the way.



Longan peel, fruit and pit

 This one was fairly easy to peel. I can usually eat eight or nine of them before the residual sweetness in my mouth feels like it's building up into a fruity syrup. You can't have too much taste of fruit lingering in your mouth, unless you're into that kind of thing. And I'm sure some of you are. Sometimes they are sold dried and they look like raisins (and they're usually way more expensive) and then they are called guiyuan (桂圓, cinnamon rounds). I've never eaten them this way as I associate them with traditional Chinese medicine, but I'm sure some people eat them or make desserts out of them. I usually just eat longan as a quick snack, but I suppose you can put them in ice cream or whatever or make longan martinis.



Canned longan in syrup


When I can't find them fresh, sometimes I buy them canned. They are okay, but fresh is better. I got this at ABC Supermarket in Beacon Hill, but you can find these anywhere: Viet Wah, 99 Ranch, etc.

I grew up eating longan and lychee and I prefer longan. Longans taste better to me if I eat them in the summer, just like watermelon, but I couldn't wait when I saw them bunched up in that netting. I had to have some!