Everything about The Longan totally explained
The
longan (;
Cantonese long-ngan; literally "
dragon eye";
Thai ลำไย) is a tropical
tree native to southern
China. It is also found in
Indonesia and
Southeast Asia. It is also called
guiyuan (桂圆) in
Chinese,
lengkeng in Indonesia,
mata kucing (literally "cat's eye") in Malaysia,
nhãn in Vietnamese (The Species:
Euphoria longana Lamk. named "long nhãn" in
Vietnamese- literally: "dragon's eyes"),
Mora in Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) and also "longan" in Tagalog.
Description
The tree can grow up to 12 metres in height, and the plant is very sensitive to
frost. Longan
trees require sandy
soil and temperatures that don't typically go below 4.5 degrees Celsius (40 degrees Fahrenheit). Longans and
lychees bear fruit at around the same time of the year.
The longan ("dragon eyes") is so named because of the fruit's resemblance to an eyeball when it's shelled (the black seed shows through the translucent flesh like a pupil/iris). The seed is small, round and hard.
Culinary uses
The
fruit is edible, and is often used in
East Asian
soups,
snacks,
desserts, and
sweet-and-sour foods, either fresh or dried, sometimes canned with syrup in supermarkets. The seeds of fresh longan can be boiled and eaten, with a distinctive nutty flavor.
Dried longan are often used in
Chinese cuisine and Chinese sweet dessert soups. In Chinese
food therapy and
herbal medicine, it's believed to have an effect on relaxation. In contrast with the fresh fruit, which is juicy and white, the flesh of dried longans is dark brown to almost black. In
Chinese medicine the longan, much like the lychee, is considered a "warm" fruit.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Longan'.
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