Longan the exotic dragons eye fruit

by James Temple

Title

Longan the exotic dragons eye fruit

Artist

James Temple

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Photograph - Photography

Description

This exotic tropical fruit is similar to its botanical cousins lychee and rambutan. However, once you crack the smooth, bark-like shell, you’ll find a sweet-sour juicy pulp surrounding the seed (see the one that is open top left in my photo). The translucent jelly tastes a bit like mango and looks similar to lychee but has its own unique bouquet. Peeled, the fruit looks like an eyeball -- which is how it got its name. Longan is Mandarin for “dragon’s eye.”

Longan (Dimocarpus longan) can be used in soups, desserts and candies, but it is best eaten fresh out of the shell. Originally from India and Sri Lanka, it’s popular throughout Southeast Asia. It’s highly perishable but considered a fruit with good portent, sometimes placed under the bed of newlyweds in hopes of helping to produce children.

WHY YOU SHOULD USE IT: In traditional Chinese medicine, longan fruit are used as a tonic for the heart, to improve eye function, relieve stress and give skin the glow. Women hoping to beautify and boost their sex drive might find this fruit the perfect tonic. As for standard nutritional qualifications, longan fruit’s got that too: iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium can be found in the fruit, as well as vitamins A and C. Recent studies have also identified gallic acid, corilagin and ellagic acid in the fruit, which may bolster the fruit’s reputation as a health-boosting superfruit.

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October 6th, 2019

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