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Lychee is a small round fruit, rather inconspicuous at first glance, but it has a deep taste and many positive properties. It is great as a stand-alone snack, but also works well with other ingredients. Where do lychees come from? What does it taste like and how to eat lychee correctly?
Lychee is a fruit the size of a pretty strawberry. The fruit usually has a pink shell covered with blunt spines. Some varieties are orange, yellow and even slightly red. Under the shell is a delicate flesh that surrounds a large seed.
How to eat lychee
Lychee can be eaten raw. It is enough to cut off a part of the peel with a tail, and then gently peel the remaining peel with your fingers. So we get a sweet, refreshing pulp with a slight sourness, the consistency of which should be firm and pearly in color.
What does lychee taste like?
It is called the Chinese plum for a reason, because the taste of lychee and plum is very similar. Some people also taste the grape flavor in lychee. The pulp of this fruit has a translucent white consistency. It is very sweet and juicy, perfect as a snack or addition to fruit salads, or even as an ingredient in drinks.
Lychee: origin
China is considered his homeland. It is believed to have been known there as early as around 1800 BC because centuries-old scrolls tell the story of this fruit delivered to the imperial court. Lychee was also a regular guest of the emperors of the Han Dynasty.
Lychee does not occur naturally in Europe. It requires a warm, humid climate to grow, such as in South Asia, Africa, South America and Florida. Lychee trees reach a height of 12 meters. They have branched crowns and dark green tough leaves. Lychee, grown in our climate in pots or backyards, is usually a small shrub, reaching a height of several tens of centimeters, with rather thin branches.
Is it possible to grow lychees at home
Lychee bush can be grown from the fruit bone. Peeled seeds can be immersed in warm water for 24 hours (which should be changed frequently to keep them warm for as long as possible) to speed up germination. Then it should be placed in a pot filled with a mixture of peat soil and sand in a ratio of 3: 1. The bone should be covered with a three-centimeter layer of the mixture, which must be kept constantly moist. The pot should be placed in a warm, sunny place. Once the plant has sprouted, remember that it needs constant heat. It is ideal to build a small greenhouse for the lychee, in which the lychee will develop faster and grow into a stronger plant.
Unfortunately, it is worth patiently waiting for the first fruits. Lychee grown in favorable home conditions begins to bear fruit in about 3-5 years.
Lychee: beneficial properties
Lychee is primarily a source of valuable vitamin C. 100 grams of this fruit contains about 71 mg, which covers the daily requirement of an adult for this vitamin. Lychee also provides us with potassium, B vitamins and vitamins E and K. It is also a source of zinc, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and selenium.
In traditional Chinese medicine, lychee is used as an aid in the fight against diseases of the digestive system. It has also been used in cosmetics for centuries. Its ingredients perfectly moisturize and nourish the skin, and thanks to the presence of vitamin C, lychee extract supports skin regeneration and collagen production.
What to cook from lychee
Lychee tastes best as a stand-alone snack. This fruit also makes fantastic jams and marmalades, as well as mousses that can be added to oatmeal and cereals. In addition, lychee is a great addition to fruit salads as well as vegetable salads, even with fish or meat added. It is also worth trying the lychee for breakfast as an addition to pancakes or waffles, and as a decoration for ice cream, cakes and muffins.
However, it is worth trying lychee in a less classic version as an ingredient in chicken curry.
Chicken curry with lychee
Ingredients:
- two onions
- 300 г chicken breast
- 20 pcs. looks like
- can of coconut milk
- salt and pepper
- butter
- a spoonful of potato flour
- spoon of curry paste
Method of preparation:
Peel and chop the onion, then fry in hot oil. Finely chop the chicken breast and add to the onion. When the meat is golden brown, add the coconut milk. Wait a little, then add the curry paste. Thicken everything with potato flour. After a few minutes, season with salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add the lychee pulp. Serve with rice or rice noodles.
Bon appetit!
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