Longan

It is not wise that in Vietnamese the name of this exotic fruit translates as the eye of a dragon. And indeed, the appearance of the longan acts somewhat eerily, but despite this, juicy fruits have excellent taste and are distinguished by a rather pleasant aroma.

Longan is currently a very popular fruit culture. It is cultivated not only in its historical homeland (in China), but also in Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. By the way, the very name of this fruit comes from the province of the same name in Vietnam.

The evergreen tree with a dense spreading crown belongs to the family Nephelium longana. In general, longan is considered a close relative of lychee, but the fruits of these 2 plants have a lot of differences. For example, in longan they are smaller and have a yellow-brown color, while lychee is much larger, and their peel is colored reddish.

Longan flesh can be described as whitish-transparent, through which a maroon or black round-shaped bone is visible. Longan tastes quite sweet, has medium juiciness and a pronounced musk taste. The shell covering the fruit is unsuitable for food. It is thin enough, but very durable, and its color can range from beige with spots to rich yellow or brown.

Longan goes on sale in the form of clusters, like grape. At the same time, the best taste properties of longan in fruits, which, so to speak, were slightly deposited on the counter. The shelf life of ripened fruits, even in a cool place, is short - no more than a week, which is why a greenish longan is still collected for export so that it can ripen during transportation.

You can use longan fruits not only in raw, but also cooked form. For example, as all kinds of desserts, snacks, sweet soups and drinks. In addition, longan fruits behave perfectly when dried and canned. By the way, there is a special substrate in the fruits of the dragon's eye, thanks to which longan often acts as the main component in the preparation of some types of liquor.

Longan benefits

The human health benefits of longan lie in the content of a large amount of vital substances. In particular, these fruits are rich in vitamins of group B and C, as well as mineral elements - magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, copper, zinc and manganese.

Chinese folk medicine also claims the benefit of longan - local healers value the special properties of this fruit very highly. As an effective tonic, longan is often used in the unconventional treatment of various diseases accompanied by general weakness, fatigue, impaired vision, dizziness and increased heart rate. In addition, the flesh of these fruits perfectly eliminates gastrointestinal disorders, and also fights insomnia, stress conditions and memory problems.