Top 40 How To Eat Longan Fruit Quick Answer

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The flesh has a musky, sweet taste, which can be compared to the flavor of lychee fruit. The longan tree is somewhat sensitive to frost. Longan trees prefer sandy soil.It can reduce the risk of cancer, edema, GERD, IBS, and effectively combat anemia. It also imparts a glow to the skin and helps manage insomnia and stress. However, excess consumption may trigger undesirable side effects as this fruit is high in carbs and sugar. Hence, people with diabetes should not consume longans.

The longan are small, tan colored delicacies that, when cracked open, reveal the most amazingly sweet flesh with a black seed shining through—the dragon’s eye.

Eating Longan
  1. Crack the shell with a knife or your fingers.
  2. Discard the shell.
  3. Remove the black seed (do not eat).
  4. Enjoy the succulent semi-transparent flesh.
There are several ways to open a longan:
  1. You can take a light bite on the fruit, just enough so the shell cracks open (almost in half). Then squeeze the fruit out of its shell.
  2. You can dig your fingernail (or the tip of a vegetable knife) next to the stem and peel off the skin.

What does a longan fruit taste like?

The flesh has a musky, sweet taste, which can be compared to the flavor of lychee fruit. The longan tree is somewhat sensitive to frost. Longan trees prefer sandy soil.

What happens when you eat too much longan?

It can reduce the risk of cancer, edema, GERD, IBS, and effectively combat anemia. It also imparts a glow to the skin and helps manage insomnia and stress. However, excess consumption may trigger undesirable side effects as this fruit is high in carbs and sugar. Hence, people with diabetes should not consume longans.

How do you peel longan fruit?

There are several ways to open a longan:
  1. You can take a light bite on the fruit, just enough so the shell cracks open (almost in half). Then squeeze the fruit out of its shell.
  2. You can dig your fingernail (or the tip of a vegetable knife) next to the stem and peel off the skin.

Is longan good for health?

Fresh longan fruit is high in vitamin C, as most fruits are — which is one reason why fruit is so vital in a healthy diet. One serving of longan provides almost a full day’s requirement. A longan’s unique appearance and taste may tempt your appetite and lead you to eat more fruit.

What are the health benefits of longan?

Here are the health benefits of longan fruit.
  • Improves Memory.
  • Boosts Skin Health.
  • Improves Sleep Quality.
  • Boosts Immunity.
  • Anti-inflammatory.
  • Boosts Libido.
  • Prevents Anaemia.
  • Protects Against Chronic Diseases.

Does longan need to be refrigerated?

Store longans in a plastic bag in the fridge for 5 – 7 days.

When should I eat longan?

Longan is an amazing snack eaten by itself. For a wonderful treat on a hot day, pop the whole fruit in the freezer – shell and all. Then eat them when you need that little refreshment, again, making sure to spit the seed out.

How do you know when longans are ripe?

How To Tell If A Longan Is Ripe. Longans start green and ripen to beige-yellow or brown color. When all the green is gone from fruit, test to make sure the outer shell is dry and brittle. If so, they’re ripe and ready to eat!

Is longan a healthy fruit?

Both longan and lychee are a good source of antioxidants, which may help prevent disease. Eaten in moderation, longan and lychee can be part of a healthy eating plan. People with diabetes can enjoy them in moderation if they consider the sugar and carb contents and check blood sugar levels when eating new fruits.

How do you store longan fruit?

Store longans in the refrigerator in a plastic bag or container that is slightly open. The small opening will help to reduce mold and condensation. The peel may harden a bit, but this will not affect the flavor of the flesh inside. The fruit will keep for up to two weeks this way.

Is lychee and longan the same?

Like lychee, longan is a tropical fruit native to Southeast Asia that’s a member of the soapberry family. Longan is smaller than lychee, about the size of an olive, with smooth, hard, light tan skin that must be peeled away before you eat the fruit.

Do you wash longan?

Wash longan thoroughly and gently rub longan under running water before eating. Avoid washing more than enough longan in one go. Avoid biting the husk of longan. Wash hands thoroughly after handling longan and before eating.

Do longans taste like lychee?

Describing the taste of longan fruit

The longan has very sweet tasting flesh with a slightly tart, musky undertone. It is similar to a lychee in flavor, only blander, and it has a less pronounced floral aroma. The texture is gelatinous and closely mimics a grape, although it is a little chewier.

What is another name for longan fruit?

Other vernacular names for longan include ‘lam-yai’ (Thailand), ‘leng-keng’ (Malaysia and Indonesia), ‘kyet mouk’ (Myanmar), ‘mien’ (Cambodia), ‘lam nhai’, ‘nam nhai’ (Laos), and ‘nhan’ (Vietnam). Many other scientific names have been given to the longan. These include Nephelium longana (Lam.)

Does longan taste like lychee?

Just like with lychee, the seed of the longan fruit is inedible. In terms of flavor and texture, lychee and longan are very comparable, but longan has been described as being jelly-like and more tart.

Is longan good for weight loss?

May help you lose weight

It increases your risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. There are no scientific studies on longan fruit and obesity. But its low calorie, fat, and carb counts make it a great substitution for sugar-laden processed foods in your diet that may lead to weight gain.

What is longan fruit called in English?

This gave the fruit its name in Chinese, which means “dragon’s eye“. The English name is from its pronunciation in Cantonese, the dialect of southern China. The fruit is edible, has a sweet taste, and is often used for cooking.
Longan
Traditional Chinese 龍眼
Simplified Chinese 龙眼
Literal meaning dragon eye

Is longan a sweet fruit?

The longan fruit is very juicy, mostly water, and high in natural sugar content, so it is very sweet. The translucent flesh has the consistency of a grape and it also taste grape-like. There are tropical flavors as well, with a hint of muskiness/funk.


How to eat Longan fruit | What does Longan Taste like
How to eat Longan fruit | What does Longan Taste like


How to Eat Longan
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How to Eat Longan
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Contents

Subspecies[edit]

Tree description[edit]

History[edit]

Culinary uses[edit]

Nutrition[edit]

Traditional medicine[edit]

Cultivation harvest and distribution[edit]

Diseases[edit]

Gallery[edit]

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References[edit]

External links[edit]

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How to Eat: Longans | Travel Gluttons

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How to Eat: Longans | Travel Gluttons
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How to Eat: Longans | Travel Gluttons

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Tips for Eating Longans

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Longan Fruit How to Eat It and What Does It Taste Like

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Where does the Longan fruit come from and where does it grow

What are the health benefits of Longan

How to eat the Longan fruit

What does the longan taste like

Longan Fruit Video

Longan Fruit How to Eat It and What Does It Taste Like
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What is a Longan Fruit? – How To Eat & Store Dragon’s Eye!

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What Is Longan

How Do I Eat Longan

How Do I Cook With Longan

Health Benefits of Longan

What Can I Substitute for Longan

How Do I Store Longan

More Tropical Fruits To Try

What is a Longan Fruit? - How To Eat & Store Dragon's Eye!
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How To Eat Longan: The Ultimate Guide – Carmela POP

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What is longan

Health benefits of longan fruit

Want to eat longan fruit Check it’s nutritional values

How to eat longan

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How do you store longan fruit

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Longan vs Lychee

Longan Recipe

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Longan Fruit vs Lychees

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How to Eat Longan

Have you experienced the “dragon’s eye?” The longan, a sweet and tropical fruit, is a member of the same family of fruit as lychee, a crowd-pleaser on FruitStand.

The longan fruit grows in clusters that hang in droops from the tree. Each circular fruit is about 1 inch in diameter, typically ranging from the size of an olive to a small plum. The word longan means ‘dragon’s eye’ in Cantonese because of the appearance of the seed when the shell has been removed and the fruit exposed.

The longan are small, tan colored delicacies that, when cracked open, reveal the most amazingly sweet flesh with a black seed shining through—the dragon’s eye. Discard the shell and pit and you have a gourmet experience you won’t soon forget. They are syrupy sweet with a tropical honey-like flavor, not unlike a melon. The texture is very much like a grape.

Longan is high in antioxidants and vitamin C, making it a wonderful and healthy snack eaten by itself but is also wonderful in sorbets, jellies, salads, smoothies, desserts, and puddings. For a wonderful treat on a hot day, pop the whole fruit in the freezer – shell and all. Then eat them when you need that little refreshment, again, making sure to spit the seed out.

However you decide to eat your longan, we’re sure you’re going to love them. Keep reading to learn more about opening your longan and how to eat and drink it!

Wikipedia

Species of tree

This article is about the fruit and tree. For other uses, see Long’an (disambiguation)

Not to be confused with Loganberry or Longnan

Dimocarpus longan, commonly known as the longan ( ), is a tropical tree species that produces edible fruit. It is one of the better-known tropical members of the soapberry family Sapindaceae, to which the lychee and rambutan also belong. The fruit of the longan is similar to that of the lychee, but less aromatic in taste.[3] It is native to tropical Asia and China.[4]

The longan (from Cantonese lùhng-ngáahn 龍眼, literally ‘dragon eye’), is so named because it resembles an eyeball when its fruit is shelled (the black seed shows through the translucent flesh like a pupil/iris). The seed is small, round and hard, and of an enamel-like, lacquered black. The fully ripened, freshly harvested fruit has a bark-like shell, thin, and firm, making the fruit easy to peel by squeezing the pulp out as if one were “cracking” a sunflower seed. When the shell has more moisture content and is more tender, the fruit becomes less convenient to shell. The tenderness of the shell varies due to either premature harvest, variety, weather conditions, or transport/storage conditions.

Subspecies [ edit ]

Plants of the World Online[5] lists:

D. longan var. echinatus Leenhouts (Borneo, Philippines)

var. Leenhouts (Borneo, Philippines) D. longan var. longetiolatus Leenhouts (Viet Nam)

var. Leenhouts (Viet Nam) D. longan subsp. malesianus Leenh. (widespread SE Asia)

subsp. Leenh. (widespread SE Asia) D. longan var. obtusus (Pierre) Leenh. (Indo-China)

Tree description [ edit ]

Longan fruit with flesh, seed, and peel visible.

Depending upon climate and soil type the tree may grow to over 100 feet (30 m)[6] in height, but it typically stands 30–40 ft (9–12 m) in height[7] and the crown is round.[8] The trunk is 2.5 ft (0.8 m) thick[7] with corky bark.[8] The branches are long and thick, typically drooping.[7]

The leaves are oblong and blunt-tipped, usually 4–8 inches (10–20 cm) long and 2 in (5 cm) wide.[7] The leaves are pinnately compounded and alternate.[8] There are 6 to 9 pairs of leaflets per leaf[8] and the upper surface is wavy and a dark, glossy-green.[7]

The longan tree produces light-yellow inflorescences at the end of branches.[7] The inflorescence is commonly called a panicle and are 4–18 in (10–46 cm) long, and widely branched.[8] The small flowers have 5 to 6 sepals and petals that are brownish-yellow.[8] The flower has a two-lobed pistil and 8 stamen. There are three flower types, distributed throughout the panicle;[7] staminate (functionally male), pistillate (functionally female), and hermaphroditic flowers.[8] Flowering occurs as a progression.[8]

The fruit hangs in drooping clusters that are circular and about 1 in (2.5 cm) wide. The peel is tan, thin, and leathery with tiny hairs.[8] The flesh is translucent, and the seed is large and black with a circular white spot at the base.[7][8] This gives the illusion of an eye.[7] The flesh has a musky, sweet taste, which can be compared to the flavor of lychee fruit.[7]

The longan tree is somewhat sensitive to frost. Longan trees prefer sandy soil. While the species prefers temperatures that do not typically fall below 4.5 °C (40 °F), it can withstand brief temperature drops to about −2 °C (28 °F).[9] Longans usually bear fruit slightly later than lychees.[10]

Longan being peeled and eaten.

The wild longan population have been decimated considerably by large-scale logging in the past, and the species used to be listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. If left alone, longan tree stumps will resprout and the listing was upgraded to Near Threatened in 1998. Recent field data are inadequate for a contemporary IUCN assessment.[1]

History [ edit ]

The longan is believed to originate from the mountain range between Myanmar and southern China. Other reported origins include India, Sri Lanka, upper Myanmar, north Thailand, Kampuchea (more commonly known as Cambodia), north Vietnam and New Guinea.[11]

Its earliest record of existence draws back to the Han dynasty in 200 BC. The emperor had demanded lychee and longan trees to be planted in his palace gardens in Shaanxi, but the plants failed. Four hundred years later, longan trees flourished in other parts of China like Fujian and Guangdong, where longan production soon became an industry.[12]

Later on, due to immigration and the growing demand for nostalgic foods, the longan tree was officially introduced to Australia in the mid-1800s, Thailand in the late-1800s, and Hawaii and Florida in the 1900s. The warm, sandy-soiled conditions allowed for the easy growth of longan trees. This jump-started the longan industry in these locations.[12]

Despite its long success in China, the longan is considered to be a relatively new fruit to the world. It has only been acknowledged outside of China in the last 250 years.[12] The first European acknowledgment of the fruit was recorded by Joao de Loureiro, a Portuguese Jesuit botanist, in 1790. The first entry resides in his collection of works, Flora Cochinchinensis.[3]

Currently, longan crops are grown in southern China, Taiwan, northern Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, India, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Australia, the United States, and Mauritius.[11] It is also grown in Bangladesh.[13]

Culinary uses [ edit ]

The fruit is sweet, juicy, and succulent in superior agricultural varieties. The seed and the peel are not consumed. Apart from being eaten raw like other fruits, longan fruit is also often used in Asian soups, snacks, desserts, and sweet-and-sour foods, either fresh or dried, and sometimes preserved and canned in syrup. The taste is different from lychees; while longan has a drier sweetness similar to dates, lychees are often messily juicy with a more tropical, grape-like sour sweetness.

Dried longan are often used in Chinese cuisine and Chinese sweet dessert soups. In Chinese food therapy and herbal medicine, it is believed to have an effect on relaxation.[14] In contrast with the fresh fruit, which is juicy and white, the flesh of dried longans is dark brown to almost black.

Nutrition [ edit ]

Raw longan fruit is 83% water, 15% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contains negligible fat. In a 100 gram reference amount, raw longan supplies 60 calories of food energy, 101% of the Daily Value (DV) of vitamin C, 12% DV of riboflavin, and no other micronutrients in appreciable quantities (table).

Traditional medicine [ edit ]

Longan may be used in traditional Eastern folk medicine. Prior to the 1800s, longan was prevalent in Asia.[12]

In ancient Vietnamese medicine, the “eye” of the longan seed was pressed against snakebites to absorb the venom. This was ineffective, but may still be used in the 21st century.[15]

Cultivation, harvest and distribution [ edit ]

It is found commonly in most of Asia, primarily in mainland China, Taiwan, Vietnam and Thailand. China, the main longan-producing country in the world, produced about 1.9 million metric tons (2.1 million short tons) of longan in 2015–2017. Vietnam and Thailand produced around 500 and 980 thousand metric tons (550 and 1,080 thousand short tons), respectively.[16] Like Vietnam, Thailand’s economy relies heavily on the cultivation and shipments of longan as well as lychee. This increase in the production of longan reflects recent interest in exotic fruits in other parts of the world. However, the majority of the demand comes from Asian communities in North America, Europe and Australia.[12]

The longan industry is very new in North America and Australia. Commercial crops have only been around for twenty years. In the United States, longan is grown in Florida, Texas, Nevada, Georgia, California, Hawaii, and Arizona. They are also grown in Australia, along the eastern coast.

During harvest, pickers must climb ladders to carefully remove branches of fruit from longan trees. Longan fruit remain fresher if still attached to the branch, so efforts are made to prevent the fruit from detaching too early. Mechanical picking would damage the delicate skin of the fruit, so the preferred method is to harvest by hand. Knives and scissors are the most commonly used tools.[17]

Fruit is picked early in the day to minimize water loss and to prevent high heat exposure, which would be damaging. The fruit is then placed into either plastic crates or bamboo baskets and taken to packaging houses, where the fruit undergo a series of checks for quality. The packaging houses are well-ventilated and shaded to prevent further decay. The process of checking and sorting are performed by workers instead of machinery. Any fruit that is split, under-ripe, or decaying is disposed of. The remaining healthy fruit is then prepped and shipped to markets.[12]

Many companies add preservatives to canned longan. Regulations control the preserving process. The only known preservative added to canned longan is sulfur dioxide, to prevent discoloration.[12] Fresh longan that is shipped worldwide is exposed to sulfur fumigation. Tests have shown that sulfur residues remain on the fruit skin, branches, and leaves for a few weeks. This violates many countries’ limits on fumigation residue, and efforts have been made to reduce this amount.[12]

Diseases [ edit ]

An oomycete disease that affects the related lychee – Phytophthora litchii – also afflicts D. longan.[18]

Gallery [ edit ]

Longan ( Dimocarpus longan ) tree leaves

Longan tree lower trunk

The longan was described in Joao de Loureiro’s work, Flora Cochinchinensis, published in 1790

See also [ edit ]

Lansium parasiticum, the langsat or lanzones

Longan Fruit: Health Benefits,Nutrition Profile & Side Effects

This lychee’s little brother has the effects of a mutant. Fortunately, it is not destructive but beneficial. Curious to know the benefits of a longan fruit? Here is a teaser! This fruit is known to slow down aging, accelerate wound healing, and reduce/prevent inflammation.

Keep reading to know more such interesting benefits of this fruit.

What Is Longan?

Longan (Dimocarpus longan) is a small, round, sweet, and watery fruit that is verry similar to lychee fruit. It has a yellowish-brown thick shell, also known as a pericarp, which hardens as it ages.

When it‘s young and fresh, you can peel the pericarp off to get a translucent, white, watery pulp embedding a big black seed, almost like an eye. You need to separate the seed to eat it. However, the seeds can also be processed to obtain essential oils and extracts.

These super delicious tropical fruits of the Sapindaceae family are grown widely in Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, and China. Locals use longan in sorbets, jellies, salads, desserts, and puddings.

But longan is not just another exotic South-Asian fruit since it has been used for many years in traditional medicine.

Let’s explore the different ways longan can help your body and nurse you to health.

What Are The Benefits Of Eating Longan?

1. Has Anticancer Effects

Longans have high levels of polyphenols. The polyphenolic compounds like gallic acid eliminate the stress-causing free radicals and toxic intermediates that can cause cancer. The fruit, flower, and the seed are equally potent antioxidants.

Traditional Chinese medicine has used longan seed extracts that interfere with DNA synthesis and suppress the undesirable oncoproteins in the tumors, in turn, destroying them.

Hence, consuming longan fruits or seed extract powders can systematically inhibit breast, colorectal, liver, lung, and cervix cancer cells (1).

2. Has Anti-inflammatory Effects

The Asians used longan fruit pulp to heal wounds, allergies, flu, and other inflammatory diseases.

The pericarp (outer layer), pulp, and seeds have anti-inflammatory phytochemicals like gallic acid, epicatechin, and ellagic acid.(2)

These compounds inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory chemicals like prostaglandins, histamines, nitric oxide, and tissue necrosis factor (TNF) in your body (3).

Also, because of the abundance of vitamins B and C, longans promote healing and treat chronic inflammatory conditions like edema, GERD, irritable bowel disease (IBS), skin allergies, wounds, burns, psoriasis, and Crohn’s disease.(4)

3. Treats Anemia And Iron Deficiency

Longan extracts, along with other native herbs, are used in Chinese traditional medicine to cure intractable anemia, thrombocytopenia, and other blood-related disorders. It was identified that urban women who did not maintain WHO recommended level of iron in their diets (5).

Dried longans contain 1.5 mg of iron per ounce. Having longans in your fruit custard or salad will boost the platelet count and hemoglobin concentration – especially in menstruating and expecting women (6).

4. Gives Young And Glowing Skin

Phytochemicals have always been the best solution to treat various disorders, and longan has them in abundance.

Bioactive compounds like corilagin, gallic acid, and ellagic acid in dried longans possess the highest free radical scavenging activity. The fruit also has antityrosinase activity and hence can prevent the onset of cancers (7).

Consuming such a potent antioxidant can give you clean, bright, and spotless skin with reduced risk of developing photosensitivity or skin cancer.

5. Reduces Stress And Treats Insomnia

Commercially available drugs to treat insomnia that target the GABA receptors, histamine receptors, and other active centers of your brain have temporary benefits and long-term side effects. The leaves and pulp of longan have bioactive compounds that suppress the levels of neurotransmitters that cause anxiety, insomnia, and stress.

A 2014 research claims that longans, in combination with other hypnotic derivatives, can increase the rate of sleep and sleep duration. This fruit can also enhance learning and memory by increasing the rate of immature neuronal survival (8),(9).

Did You Know? Longan seeds are excellent antifungal agents . Mouthwashes containing longan extracts can fight oral infections caused by fungi (Candida and Cryptococcus species)

. Mouthwashes containing longan extracts can fight oral infections caused by fungi (Candida and Cryptococcus species) Because of their saponin content, longan seeds are dried and used in shampoos and hair washes.

and hair washes. The Chinese call the longan ‘Dragon’s eye’ because of the black colored seed it has – resembling an eye.

Though the mechanism is yet to be understood, it doesn’t hurt to start eating this little tangy-sweet, fibrous, and pulpy fruit for all the health benefits it may provide.

And when you look at the nutritional profile of longan, you have even more reason to love this deliciously sweet and musky fruit. Check it out!

Nutrient Profile Of Longan

Calorie Information Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Calories 1.8(7.5 kJ) 0% From Carbohydrate 1.6(6.7 kJ) From Fat 0.0(0.0 kJ) From Protein 0.1(0.4 kJ) From Alcohol ~(0.0 kJ) Carbohydrates Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Total Carbohydrate 0.5 g 0% Dietary Fiber 0.0 g 0% Starch ~ Sugars ~ Fats & Fatty Acids Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Total Fat 0.0 g 0% Saturated Fat ~ ~ Monounsaturated Fat ~ Polyunsaturated Fat ~ Total trans fatty acids ~ Total trans-monoenoic fatty acids ~ Total trans-polyenoic fatty acids ~ Total Omega-3 fatty acids ~ Total Omega-6 fatty acids ~ Protein & Amino Acids Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Protein 0.0 g 0% Vitamins Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Vitamin A ~ ~ Vitamin C 2.5 mg 4% Vitamin D ~ ~ Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol) ~ ~ Vitamin K ~ ~ Thiamin 0.0 mg 0% Riboflavin 0.0 mg 0% Niacin 0.0 mg 0% Vitamin B6 ~ ~ Folate ~ ~ Vitamin B12 0.0 mcg 0% Pantothenic Acid ~ ~ Choline ~ Betaine ~ Minerals Amounts Per Selected Serving %DV Calcium 0.0 mg 0% Iron 0.0 mg 0% Magnesium 0.3 mg 0% Phosphorus 0.6 mg 0% Potassium 8.0 mg 0% Sodium 0.0 mg 0% Zinc 0.0 mg 0% Copper 0.0 mg 0% Manganese 0.0mg 0% Selenium ~ ~ Fluoride ~

You must be wondering if there’s a way to rope in all the vitamin C, potassium, and the fiber this fruit contains. I’ve got that covered!

I’ve collected some simple and quick recipes with longans for you. Would you want to give then a shot? Scroll down!

2 Quick And Simple Recipes With Longan Fruit

1. Longan-Banana Smoothie

What You Need

Longan fruits: 5, fresh and ripe

Banana: 1

Coconut milk or water: 1 cup

Blender

Let’s Make It!

Discard the hard outer shells and seeds of the longans. In a blender, make a smooth puree of the longans. Break the banana into smaller pieces and add them to the blender. Pour in coconut milk or water. Blend until you obtain a smooth mixture. Refrigerate before serving (if you prefer). That’s the best tropical beach-side-chiller drink you’ve made, by the way!

2. Longan Steamed Egg Custard

What You Need

Longans: 8 fresh, peeled

Longan syrup: 2 cups

Eggs: 3, medium-large size

Baking ramekins

Note: The quantity of beaten eggs should be exactly equal to that of longan syrup. Here, the volume is set to 2 cups each.

Let’s Make It!

In a mixing bowl, beat the eggs and set aside. Add the longan syrup to the bowl and whisk thoroughly. Sieve the egg mixture into two ramekins. You can make many smaller portions if you prefer. Add two peeled longan fruits to each ramekin. Steam for 8 minutes. Serve hot topped with extra longans. This is how you make a quick, filling, and exotic snack bowl!

Weren’t you instantly transported to the East Asian kitchens and seas? Such is longan’s exotic taste!

Though they taste heavenly and are bountiful nutrient carriers, could there be drawbacks of eating longan fruits?

Let’s find out!

What Are The Side Effects Of Eating Longan Fruits?

There are not many side effects of binging on longans that have been documented. But there is a possibility that you can be allergic to longan. The chances are super low, though. The key is portion size.

But there’s one concern that stands out –

High Carbs And Sugar Content

People with diabetes should not consume longans. Although it boosts your immunity because of its high levels of vitamins C and B, what’s alarming is the sugar content.

Each ounce of raw longans has about 20.7 g of carbs. This might increase the blood glucose levels in susceptible people.

You can try other low carb alternatives like melons, camu camu, and berries to get your dose of these vitamins and minerals.

Longan benefits you in multiple ways. It can reduce the risk of cancer, edema, GERD, IBS, and effectively combat anemia. It also imparts a glow to the skin and helps manage insomnia and stress. However, excess consumption may trigger undesirable side effects as this fruit is high in carbs and sugar. Hence, people with diabetes should not consume longans. Consume it in moderation to reap all of its benefits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you eat longan fruit during pregnancy?

Food taboos across the world say no to ‘wet-hot’ foods like mangoes, lychees, pineapple, and shrimp during pregnancy.

Such foods increase the internal heat in your body, causing problems in the unborn child and while delivering. Traditions in the Eastern and African countries prohibit consumption of such foods (10).

Since research has not proven it yet, you should consult your doctor about having longans while you are carrying or nursing your child.

How long does it take for a longan tree to bear fruits? What is the best season?

Seedling trees may take up to 6 years to bear fruits, whereas air layered trees may bear fruits 2 to 3 years after planting.

The main blooming season for longans is from February/March through April and the beginning of May. Harvest is generally during June, July, or August.

However, some cultivars produce off-season blooms and fruits are harvested 3 to 6 months later.

Sources

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