Longan | Sweet Dragon's Eye Fruit

Crack open the thin golden brown shell of a longan and you find glistening, translucent flesh with a honeyed, gently musky sweetness. A close cousin of the litchi, longan is smaller, smoother and mellower, and it is one of the easiest fruits to snack on by the handful.

Longan, Dimocarpus longan, belongs to the same plant family as litchi and rambutan. It is native to southern China and Southeast Asia and is widely grown today in Thailand and Vietnam. Its name comes from the Chinese for "dragon's eye", because the peeled fruit, with its dark seed showing through the pale flesh, looks like an eye.

Each longan is round and about the size of a large marble. The shell is thin, light tan to golden brown and only faintly textured, quite unlike the bumpy red rind of a litchi. Inside sits translucent white flesh wrapped around a single glossy dark brown seed with a small pale spot.

The flavour is sweet and floral with a soft, slightly musky note and very little tartness. The flesh is juicy and firm, a little less watery than litchi, which makes longan pleasant to eat on its own and easy to add to desserts and drinks.

At Terra Fresh we check every batch for firm, intact shells and sweet, fresh flesh before it reaches you, and we deliver across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai.

Longan is a seasonal import, so availability changes through the year. Choose 500 g or 1 Kg when it is in stock.

Nutrition Information

Longan is a naturally sweet fruit and a source of Vitamin C, which contributes to normal immune function. It is mostly water and natural fruit sugars, so it makes a refreshing, light snack.

How to Eat & Store

How to tell it's ripe

• Shells should be dry, intact and evenly tan to golden brown.
• The fruit should feel firm and full, not hollow or soft.
• Avoid fruit with cracked, wet or mouldy shells.

How to cut and eat it

1. Rinse the fruit under cool water.
2. Press the shell near the stem with your thumbnail until it cracks.
3. Peel the shell away; it comes off easily.
4. Eat the flesh and discard the seed. Do not eat the seed or the shell.

Storage instructions

• Keep longan in a paper or perforated bag in the refrigerator.
• Eat within a few days for the best flavour and texture.
• Peeled longan can be kept in a covered container in the fridge for a day.

Ripening at home guide

Longan does not ripen further after harvest, so it arrives ready to eat. Keep it cool and eat it soon rather than leaving it out to soften.

Recipe Ideas

Longan in a Vrat Fruit Chaat

Add peeled, seeded longan to a bowl of mixed fruit with sendha namak, roasted jeera and a squeeze of lemon. See the full vrat fruit chaat recipe.

Longan Coconut Cooler

Drop a handful of peeled, seeded longan into chilled tender coconut water with a few mint leaves and a squeeze of lime. Serve over ice.

Chilled Longan Sabudana Kheer

Cook soaked sabudana in milk with a little sugar and cardamom until the pearls turn clear. Cool it, then stir in chopped longan just before serving.

FAQ

Is longan the same as litchi? No. Longan and litchi are related fruits from the same family. Longan has a smooth tan shell and a milder, muskier sweetness, while litchi has a bumpy red rind and a more floral, slightly tart taste.

Why is it called dragon's eye? The name comes from Chinese. Once peeled, the dark seed shows through the pale flesh and looks like an eye.

Can I eat the seed? No. Eat only the flesh and discard the seed and shell.

How long does longan stay fresh? Stored in the refrigerator in a paper or perforated bag, longan is best eaten within a few days.

Can I eat longan during Navratri fasting? Fresh fruit is commonly eaten during vrat, and longan works well in a vrat fruit chaat. Follow your own family's fasting customs.

Where do you deliver? We deliver across Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai.