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Why is it called the ‘Lychee Slave’? Its beauty surpasses all other fruits. Its sweet and mellow juice is shy and elusive, like the golden balls of white jade. It should be considered equal to the fruit of the goddess of Mount Kunlun, and served as a tribute to the Queen Mother of the West. It is on par with the lychee in quality, and moreover, it surpasses the wisdom and merits of other fruits.
Dragon Eye” by Wang Xiangjin of the Ming Dynasty
This poem was written by Wang Xiangjin, a Jinshi (successful candidate in the imperial examinations) of the Ming Dynasty. In his later years, he returned home to focus on agricultural matters and compiled the “Qunfang Pu” (Compendium of Various Flowers), which has been widely circulated. This particular poem primarily aims to vindicate the longan fruit, which was often disparagingly referred to as the “slave of the lychee.” The poem extols the longan’s sweet taste, golden skin, and translucent flesh, comparing its beauty to white pearls. It suggests that the longan is like a fruit cultivated by immortals on Mount Gushi and is worthy of being offered as a tribute at the celestial banquet held in the Yaochi Garden. The poem argues that the longan should be considered the equal of the lychee and, given its additional benefits of improving memory and calming the mind, should not be relegated to the status of a “slave.”
According to folk beliefs, the ninth day of the first lunar month is the birthday of the Jade Emperor, hence why it’s called “Tian Gong Sheng” (Birthday of the Heavenly Emperor) in southern Fujian. The offerings for this celebration are placed on two levels: the upper and lower tables. The upper table is dedicated to the Jade Emperor and is typically adorned with three cups of clear tea, five fruits, and six vegetarian dishes. Dried longans are one of the six vegetarian dishes.
Longan Flesh(http://en.whatsintcm.com/dt_articles/%e9%be%8d%e7%9c%bc%e8%82%89/)is the dried aril of the longan fruit (Dimocarpus longan Lour.), a member of the Sapindaceae family. It is primarily grown in the tropical regions of Asia, including Fujian, Guangxi, Guangdong, and Yunnan in China. Due to suitable climate conditions, it is also extensively cultivated in Vietnam. In Taiwan, it is mainly produced in the areas south of Nantou and Miaoli.
Longan flesh is harvested in the autumn when the fruit is ripe. After harvesting, the fruit is dried, and the fruit shell and seed are removed, with the aim to dry it thoroughly without stickiness. It is also known by several other names such as Guiyuan, Longmu, Guiyuan, Dried Longan, and Lychee Slave.
The dried longan flesh appears as irregular flakes or blocks, varying in size. The surface is reddish-brown or brownish, semi-transparent, and the side facing the fruit skin is wrinkled and uneven, often with a net-like pattern. The side attached to the seed is usually shiny with fine longitudinal wrinkles, and the flesh tends to clump together. It has a soft, sticky texture with a distinct aroma and a sweet taste.
The earliest record of longan flesh is in the “Shennong Ben Cao Jing,” classified as a middle-grade herb. It is known for its benefits to the heart and can nourish blood and calm the mind. Clinically, it is commonly used for symptoms such as palpitations, forgetfulness, and insomnia.
Common types of longan flesh found in the market include:
Dried Fruit Flakes: Made by peeling dried fruit, usually appearing as flakes with a darker color.
Fresh Fruit Drying: Dried directly from fresh fruit, usually spherical, lighter in color, and less common.
Some products are treated with sulfur, then soaked in syrup before drying, resulting in thicker, heavier pieces with a white color, sticky texture, a sulfur smell, and a pronounced sweet taste.
Others might be soaked in high-concentration brown sugar water before drying, leading to darker, purplish-brown pieces that often clump together with visible sugar granules.
Certain products may be adulterated with fruit jams or resemble raisins or dried cherries, with similar size and color but lacking the unique longan aroma.
Additionally, dried lychee flesh may be confused with longan flesh; lychee has thicker, brownish, opaque flesh. Another confusing variant is “Longli” used as a substitute for longan, which features many round, nodular protrusions on the surface and longitudinal cracks in the seed coat, with a slightly sweet taste and sticky texture.
Vietnamese longan varieties, similar to early Taiwanese varieties, are smaller but have a more intense aroma.
In Taiwan, longan fruit is dried using either mechanical dryers or traditional methods involving burning longan wood. The traditional method, where the fruit is slowly dried over a wood fire, requires multiple days and nights of continuous attention, as the heat and smoke levels must be carefully controlled. This process is labor-intensive and time-consuming, but the resulting longan has a unique smoky flavor in addition to the natural sweetness of the fruit, making it highly popular among consumers. Moreover, all longan products sold in Taiwan must adhere to strict food safety and hygiene standards, ensuring that consumers can enjoy them with peace of mind.
[Image provided] Professor Zhang Xianzhe, “Authentic Medicinal Materials Illustrated Guide”http://en.whatsintcm.com