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What Does Lychee Taste Like?

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Have you ever noticed these strange-looking tropical fruits and wondered, what does lychee taste like?

Lychee has a distinctive and bold taste. The flavor is mostly sweet and floral, and is often described as aromatic, and having a slight taste of rose. They are sometimes compared to cherries and the flesh has a similar texture to a grape.

lychees in a bowl

lychees in a bowl

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Have you ever noticed these strange-looking tropical fruits and wondered, what does lychee taste like? Click to Tweet

Is Lychee sweet or sour?

Like most fruit, the exact taste of lychee can be different from batch to batch. Usually, lychee is more sweet than sour, but there is usually a slightly citrusy aftertaste. Sometimes you’ll get a bunch where this is more pronounced and they can taste quite tart.

What fruit is similar to lychee?

Rambutan is a fruit that both looks and tastes a little like lychee. It’s generally thought to have a richer and creamier flavor however, with less of a citrus aftertaste.

Longan also look very similar to lychee but taste very different. They have a much sharper flavor and larger seeds, with less flesh.

lychee opened and looking at the inside

lychees

Can you die from eating lychee?

There have been some worrying reports of lychee consumption being linked to cases of a brain disease called Acute Encephalitis Syndrome. The cases almost all occurred in areas of India where Lychee are grown. The conclusion of scientists was that those effected were mostly malnourished children who lived near lychee groves and ate the fruit in excess to make up for their lack of food. Research suggests that eating lychees in excess on an empty stomach can increase the risk of developing the condition, especially in small children.

Don’t worry too much though. This was a very isolated occurrence with very specific circumstances. Medical advice suggests that, if eaten in moderation by people who regularly eat a substantial evening meal, there is little to no risk.

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Are lychees bad for you?

When eaten in moderation as part of a healthy diet, there are no known adverse health effects of eating lychee.

In fact lychee are quite good for you. As well as being high in folate and vitamin C, they are a good source of potassium and copper, both essential minerals which are of particular benefit to the heart. They are also high in flavanols, which have anti-inflammatory properties and are thought to help lower blood pressure and improve blood flow to the heart and brain.

One thing to watch out for if you’re a fan of lychee is the high sugar content. There is around 15g of sugar per 100g of lychee. By comparison, there is about 9g per 100g of orange and 5g per 100g of strawberries. If eaten in moderation as part of a healthy diet, this shouldn’t be a problem.

lychee partly opened

lychee fruit

Lychee are quite good for you. As well as being high in folate and vitamin C, they are a good source of potassium and copper, both essential minerals which are of particular benefit to the heart. Click to Tweet

What is lychee fruit called in English?

Lychee is the common name of the fruit both in India where it’s found and in the West. It’s sometimes spelled “litchi” and it has two different pronunciations in English. Americans say ‘lee-chee’ while the British pronounce it ‘lai-chee’. You can hear the difference between pronunciations here.

Can dogs eat lychee?

Although it is likely that a small amount of lychee will do your dog no harm, there’s little concrete research on the impact they can have on a dog. Even if it’s unlikely that lychees are toxic to dogs, they still contain a high amount of sugar which isn’t at all good for them. If you do decide to feed your dog lychee, make sure it is ripe, remove all of the rough outer skin, and only feed it a small amount.

So in conclusion, if you’ve been wondering what does lychee taste like, now you know. It’s a sweet, creamy, refreshing little fruit with a slightly tangy aftertaste. If you enjoy tropical fruit and are looking for something new it’s well worth a try.

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