Little known, but no less useful lychee! Lychee - a description of the benefits and harms of this tropical fruit, as well as its photo.

Lychee is a small fruit covered with red skin with bumps. It tastes sweet and sour and very pleasant. A few years ago, this fruit could not be seen in our stores. Now, although rare, and it is expensive, you can still buy these unusual fruits and enjoy their taste. What kind of fruit is this, where and how does it grow and what useful properties does it have, about all this in the article.

How Lychee Grows

Lychee is one of the popular fruits. South-East Asia. But its popularity is not limited to this region. For its taste and aroma, it is gaining more and more fans around the world.

The lychee fruit is the fruit of an evergreen tree. In height, it can reach 20-30 meters. But, as a rule, it is only 10-15 meters. China is considered the birthplace of this fruit, where, according to sources, its fruits were eaten as early as the 2nd century BC.

Over time, lychee spread first to neighboring countries and then to many regions. the globe with a tropical climate. This fruit was brought to Europe in the 17th century. It was first described by the Spanish writer González de Mendoza, who was interested in the history of China.

The lychee tree belongs to the Sapindaceae family. The crown of the tree is spreading. Parapinnate leaves have 4 to 8 leaflets, elongated ovate or lanceolate.

The flowers of the plant cannot be called those in the usual sense. They are without petals and are collected in lush umbellate panicles, the length of which can be up to 70 centimeters. Of all the inflorescences, only 3 to 15 fruits can be tied. The rest fall off after flowering.

The fruits themselves are round or oval in shape and covered with a thick skin with numerous tubercles. Inside under it is a juicy jelly-like pulp white color with a dark bone inside an oval shape.

The diameter of the fruit is about 2.5-4 centimeters. The skin is bright red. The weight of a ripe single fruit is about 20 grams.

Lychee is also called Chinese plum, lacy, fox, liji. The Chinese call it "dragon's eye".

Lychee fruit flavor

Lychee has only white flesh that is edible. Neither the peel nor the bone is used for food. They are inedible. The pulp itself is juicy, fragrant jelly-like consistency. The peel is easily separated from it.

Everyone describes the taste of lychee in different ways. To some, it resembles something between strawberries and grapes, and to some, pineapple. Lychee perfectly refreshes and quenches thirst.

Lychee chemical composition and calorie content

Lychee contains many useful substances that are beneficial to the human body. It found:

Vitamins: B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, E, H (biotin), K (phylloquinone);

Minerals: calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, chlorine, sodium, fluorine, zinc, copper, iron, manganese, iodine;

Carbohydrates;

Alimentary fiber;

saccharides;

Monosaccharides;

The amount of sugars depends on the area where the tree grows and can fluctuate.

100 grams of fruit pulp contains almost 80 grams of water, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fat, 0.9 grams of protein. The calorie content of 100 grams of lychee is 60-70 calories.

Lychee fruit beneficial properties

Thanks to the substances contained in lychee, this fruit has many beneficial properties. vitamins, minerals, a large number of water, dietary fiber and other all this has a positive effect on the human body.

Vitamin C and potassium provide therapeutic effect on the cardiovascular system. This fruit is able to lower cholesterol levels. In China, this fruit is consumed to prevent atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.

Lychee fruit has a tonic effect on the human body. In the East, it is considered an excellent natural aphrodisiac. Not surprisingly, in India, lychee is called the fruit of love.

Due to the high content of water, it perfectly quenches thirst, normalizes work intestinal tract, eliminates and prevents constipation. A low calorie content makes it an excellent product for weight loss and getting rid of extra pounds.

The Chinese believe that lychee, combined with lemongrass and other herbs are very effective in cancer.

But in addition to the fruits, its peel is used in folk medicine. Regular use of a decoction of the peel increases the tone of the body and prevents the accumulation of fluid in the tissues.

Lychee is useful fresh. But in canned, dried it also has many useful properties and does not lose its taste.

The benefits of lychee for the body

The whole benefit of this small-sized fruit called lychee lies again in its chemical composition. It seems that there could be only water. But about this fruit, one can say with confidence: "The spool is small, but expensive." It is a pity that the season of its fruiting is short and it is not stored for a long time.

The main benefits of the "dragon's eye" include:

Strengthening immunity;

Favorable effect on the heart and blood vessels;

Prevention of cardiovascular diseases such as stroke or heart attack;

Prevention of atherosclerosis;

Removal of bad low-density cholesterol;

Prevention of constipation;

Improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal system;

Prevention of anemia, as it contains iron;

Cleansing the body harmful substances and toxins (rich in fiber and pectin);

Antioxidants protect the body from the action of the oxidative process of free radicals;

Prevention of premature aging;

Increased tone and energy balance due to the correct carbohydrates and vitamin composition;

Simple sugars satisfy hunger for a long time;

Relatively low glycemic index and can be used by diabetic patients.

Lychee fruit harm and contraindications

The only contraindication to the use of this exotic fruit can only be individual intolerance. It can manifest itself as an allergic reaction.

Adverse reactions may be from the abuse of this fruit. But this applies more to those people who go to tropical countries on vacation during the lychee season. For the rest, just take note. Nevertheless, these fruits are rare in our country, and they are expensive.

Such side effects can manifest themselves in the form of diarrhea, flatulence. Therefore, eat these fruits in reasonable amounts. A few pieces a day will be enough. Children are allowed to eat no more than 100 grams of fresh lychee fruit.

How to choose and store litchi

During the harvest season, and it happens mainly in winter, lychee can be bought in any large chain store. What to look for when buying?

First, the skin color. It should be deep red and undamaged. A brown peel may indicate that the fruit has already gone bad. light red or yellow color- the fruit is plucked not quite ripe.

Of course, that the fruits should not have any traces of mold and rot.

If you can smell the fruit, do it. Lychees have a pleasant fruity aroma. When the fruits are overripe, the smell is cloying.

Lyches are not stored for a long time. This is the reason for their low prevalence. However, shipping takes some time.

At room temperature, their shelf life is 1-2 days. They can keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Therefore, having bought fruits, it is better to eat them immediately.

If you need to save fruit for more long term It's best to freeze them. In this case, they can be stored for several months. Before freezing, they can be peeled, or you can not peel them. Peeled frozen fruits to taste and appearance reminiscent of ice cream sorbet.

How to clean lychee

There should be no difficulty here. The skin is easily removed. You can cut it with a knife or lightly press on the fruit, peel it. Do not swallow the bone!

What to cook with lychee

In cooking, mostly fresh fruits are used. Fruit salads are made from them, jams, preserves, marmalade are cooked, juice is squeezed out. Used for desserts, in pastries as a filling.

Lychees are also dried. When dried, it looks like a large raisin. Often it is used to decorate cocktails, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.

These fruits serve as a marinade for meat or fish, sauces are made from them.

Ice cream with lychee

For 500 grams of peeled lychee fruits, take:

1 cup cream (at least 20% fat)

125 grams of sugar

1 sachet of vanilla sugar

Peel the lychee and remove the pit. Puree in a blender. Add cream, sugar and vanilla. Shake everything well and put in the refrigerator. After a couple of hours, remove the container with the fruit mass and beat again. This is necessary in order to break the frozen pieces of ice. Put it back in the freezer.

Do this several times until the ice cream is completely frozen.

Lychee Jelly

Fruit can be taken according to your taste or based on availability. Since lychee is an exotic fruit, then its companion in this jelly recipe will be the same.

Take mango and lychee. Wash clean and cut into small pieces.

In glass apple juice dissolve 1 tablespoon of gelatin, adding sugar to taste to the juice.

Arrange chopped fruits in small vases, wide glasses. Pour over prepared jelly. Place in refrigerator until it hardens.

Interesting Lychee Facts

For us, this fruit is considered exotic. But in countries where he is native and familiar, they learned to use him to solve many of their problems and goals. Very briefly Interesting Facts on the application and use of lychee.

Application in traditional medicine

• A decoction of the root, flowers and bark is used as a gargle for sore throats.
• The stone is used as a sedative, with orchitis and neuralgic disorders.
• Lychee provides relief from cough.
• It helps in the treatment of tumors, gastralgia and glandular enlargement.
• Fruit peel tea helps treat smallpox rashes and diarrhea.
• In India, the crushed seeds are used for some intestinal and stomach problems.
• In China, lychees are used for neuralgic pains.
• Flowers are used for bleeding, sore throats and to prevent burns from ultraviolet rays.

In nutrition

• They are added to fruit salads.
• Topped with whipped cream and pistachio ice cream for dessert.
• The fruit, cut in half, is placed on top of the ham for last hour cooking in the oven or on the grill. Also used in the preparation of steak.
• Pureed lychee pulp is added to the ice cream mix.
• Lychee juice is used to make ice cream, jelly.
• In Thailand, India and China, lychees are preserved in sugar syrup.
• It is included in sour and sweet dishes of Chinese cuisine.
• Lychee is also used as a mixed salad with avocado pieces.
• Lychee also mixes well with juices such as banana, strawberry, mango and papaya juice with coconut water.

Other facts

• Flowers can be green, white or yellow.
• The lychee flower blooms in the northern hemisphere from November to February and in the southern hemisphere from April to August.
• The fragrant flowers attract bees, which are the main plant pollinators.
• After pollination, the lychee matures in 100-120 days.
• Lychee has a floral aroma, a sweet taste that resembles a mixture of pears and grapes.
• Lychees are called Chinese strawberries because they originated in China and look like strawberries.
• In China, the lychee is considered a symbol of romance and love.
• China and India are the largest lychee producers in the world.
• Dried lychee has a smoky flavor.

Find out more about the beneficial properties of the exotic lychee fruit, how it is useful for the human body from the video

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The article will tell in detail about the benefits and features of eating such an exotic fruit as lychee.

Lychee is an exotic fruit that grows on a tree that can reach up to 25-30 meters in height. The shape of the fruit is similar to an egg, the surface is pimply and has a bright red color. The diameter of the fruit is small, only 3-4 centimeters.

Lychee is a berry with white flesh inside. The center of the berry is very soft and juicy. Inside the pulp there is an elongated bone Brown color. The taste of ripe lychee pulp is very pleasant and somewhat reminiscent of cherries, very fresh, sweet and with a slight sour tint.

This tree grows mainly in the subtropics: China ( southern part), South America, Africa, Japan. The berry is very popular and is exported almost all over the world. The berry is in demand not only for its unusual taste qualities but also for incredible benefits. The berry is stored for a very long time, and therefore it is convenient to transport it.

Lychee - dietary and low-calorie product. 100 g of berries contain no more than 70 calories. Lychees are allowed for consumption by almost everyone, those who do not follow the figure and those who adhere to a healthy, as well as dietary diet.

Lychee: berry, seed, pulp, peel

lychee tree

lychee berry

How does lychee grow?

ripe lychee

Lychee fruit - fruits, seeds, peel: composition, vitamins, beneficial properties and contraindications for the body of women, men

The benefits of lychee lie in its rich biochemical composition, which is able to provide health and wellness to the body. medicinal property. There are a lot of vitamins and minerals in lychee, the most important are:

• B vitamins- improve metabolic processes in the body.
• Vitamin E- improve the condition of hair, nails and skin, remove toxins.
• Vitamin C- strengthens the immune system
• Vitamin H- helps digest protein
• Vitamin K- improves blood clotting

Trace elements - minerals:

• Potassium- necessary to ensure the normal functioning of all soft tissues in the body.
• Sodium- participates in enzymatic processes and muscle contraction.
• Fluorine- strengthens tooth enamel
• Iodine- Improves thyroid function
• Chlorine- regulates the water-alkaline balance in the body
• Iron- improves blood quality by increasing hemoglobin
• Manganese Needed for the normal formation of bone structure.
• Selenium- is a key link in many metabolic chains of the body.
• Sulfur- actively helps the body fight harmful bacteria.

For those who have never encountered lychee, it is important to know that the peel of this fruit is completely unsuitable for food. Remove the skin carefully with a knife. After that, you should remove the bone from the pulp with the same knife, since it is quite large and it is inconvenient to eat lychee with a bone, it is easily removed.

In Asia, eating litchi is not accepted by hand. Lychee pulp is put in one plate, eaten with a spoon or fork, because it is jelly-like in structure. So it will not be possible to get dirty with pulp juice. Lychees are often eaten not only fresh, but even dried and canned. For those who can easily get lychee every day, you can make lychee smoothies or puree. In some countries, lychee is dried with the skin on.

IMPORTANT: It should be noted that lychee contains quite a few calories, which means that the berry is not considered a dietary product. 100 g of fruit contains up to 70 kcal and litchi should be eaten in limited quantities. However, the composition of the lychee is very useful and favorably affects the process of weight loss in reasonable quantities.

In Asian countries, litchi is considered a product that is very beneficial for men's health, because its effect on "sexual function" has not gone unnoticed. Apparently, this is why litchi is often called the “fruit of love” in many sources. In China, for example, not a single wedding table is complete without a full dish of fresh lychees, because this will “help” make the first wedding night fruitful and successful marriage.

IMPORTANT: In Asian countries, lychee is often used in recipes traditional medicine for the preparation of drugs that relieve advanced level cholesterol in the blood and diseases of the cardiovascular system, as well as the prevention of atherosclerosis.

What are the benefits of lychee for men?

Lychee fruit - fruits, seeds, peel: useful properties and contraindications for pregnant women and breastfeeding

Lychee has a unique biochemical composition. Lychee contains a lot of organic acids and fiber. This has a positive effect on intestinal motility. In addition, there are a lot of minerals useful for a woman in lychee: potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, which favorably affect the process of menstruation (reduces pain and spasms, prevents emotional overexcitation and mood swings.

Other positive properties of lychee:

• Lychee pulp contains Omega-3, this element eliminates pain during PMS.
• Pectins, which are very abundant in lychee, are able to remove accumulated toxins and toxins from the intestines from the body.
• Lychee contains choline, which is very useful for women who regularly experience stress. Choline has a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
• Lychee contains folic acid which not only improves immune system but also favorably affects the beauty of nails, skin, hair. Substances such as lysine, tryptophan, methonine help filic acid.
• Nicotinic acid favorably affects the health of women during menopause.

IMPORTANT: You can’t eat lychee with a bone, especially on an empty stomach. In its raw form, the stone is very poisonous and can bring adverse effects.

IMPORTANT: You should also pay attention to how your body perceives litchi, whether there are any allergies: rash, itching, redness of the skin and other symptoms.

Lychee in the diet of pregnant women should not be present often. You can afford no more than 10 fruits per day, if there is no allergic reaction or contraindications. During pregnancy, lychee can be useful in eliminating bowel problems and saturating the body with essential vitamins and minerals.

Lychee acidity will help a woman in a position to cope with toxicosis and a feeling of nausea. In addition, the diuretic property of lychee helps to eliminate excessive swelling during pregnancy (especially on the limbs) by “driving out” water. This is very important in the second and third trimester of pregnancy.

IMPORTANT: There should be litchi in small processes. It is known that on early dates Pregnancy accelerated metabolism (which affects the fetus) can lead to spontaneous miscarriage (but in very rare cases).

During lactation, lychee is useful in that nicotinic acid (there is a lot of it in lychee) helps to improve milk flow (due to the activation of the hormone prolactin). Fruit should be eaten approximately 30-45 minutes before feeding the baby. Be careful if the baby has this moment there is a period of formation of the intestinal microflora (the so-called "colic"), you should not eat litchi - they can provoke increased gas formation, both in the mother and in the child himself. In other cases, lychees will saturate the milk with important vitamins.

IMPORTANT: While breastfeeding, do not exceed the daily intake of fruits, namely - 5 pieces per day.

Can pregnant and lactating women eat lychee?

Lychee fruit: benefits for children, at what age can a child be given?

Lychee is an exotic fruit and therefore it is necessary to take into account the fact that, unlike the usual food, it can be allergic. It is best to let the child try the rays not earlier than 3 years of age. One fruit for the "sample" will be enough. It is better not to give lychee to children at a young and infancy, as it can provoke excessive bloating and colic.

How to take lychee fruit for weight loss, what is its calorie content?

Lychee calorie content can reach 70 kcal per 100 grams, depending on the maturity of the fruit.

Lychee is often used as a weight loss aid. The fruit really helps to eliminate troubles with the work of the intestines and get rid of excess water, but it should be eaten in limited quantities so as not to disturb the body's daily calorie intake.

Fruit, lychee berry: how to choose the right ripe one?

Ripe lychee is chosen for a number of reasons:

• Fruit size (not less than 3 cm, not more than 4 cm)
• Peel of the fruit is pimply
• The skin of the fruit may be slightly prickly.
• The skin has a rich red color
• When you press the skin, it can bend and even burst, and then return to its previous shape.
• The ripe fruit has a pleasant sweetish aroma.

Fruit, lychee berry: how to clean and eat?

It will be possible to cut the lychee only with a very sharp and thin knife, similar to a blade. If you try to cut the lychee with another knife, you risk squeezing the juice out of it and damaging the flesh. The skin should only be slightly pierced and notched. straight line by diameter.

The bone is removed from the fetus in two ways:

• Or cut the pulp in half and get the bone
• Simply squeeze out the pit by pressing on the pulp

How to clean and eat lychee?

Chinese lychee plum: are the seeds edible, are they poisonous, what will happen if you eat a lychee bone?

The lychee stone is toxic, but only if eaten raw. If you dry it or make a decoction out of it, you can eat a bone. A lychee bone contains a number beneficial vitamins, minerals and amino acids that have a diuretic effect on the body. In some countries, you can find lychee, which is called "Chinese plum". The stone of this fruit is fried in oil and served with spices as a prepared dish.

Lychee fruit - fruits, seeds, peel: what helps?

The pit and skin of the lychee is not used for ischu consumption, but often serves as the basis for cooking. medicines. The bone, for example, contains a concentrated amount of useful trace elements. The bone can be boiled, or it can be dried and ground into powder. Such funds are popular in Asian countries as a powerful pain reliever.

Often the remedy is used in the treatment of:

• Neuralgic diseases
• Intestinal diseases
• metabolic diseases
• Orchita

IMPORTANT: You should take into account the fact that with excessive use of decoctions and medicines prepared on the basis of peel and bone, it can have the opposite effect and “give” toxic poisoning.

How to prepare a decoction and infusion of lychee peel, how and from what to apply?

Decoction and infusion of lychee - a well-known remedy for the treatment neuralgic diseases:

• Apathy
• Depression
• Insomnia
• Excessive irritability and emotionality
• Tearfulness

IMPORTANT: In addition, a decoction of the peel is often used to treat cardiovascular diseases and as a prophylaxis of atherosclerosis.

How to prepare a decoction:

• Put the washed peel into a bowl.
• fill with water
• Bring to a boil, turn down the heat
• Cover with a lid
• Cook over low heat for 20-25 minutes
• Let the decoction brew for another 20 minutes
• Take 1-2 tbsp. before meals twice a day.

How to make an infusion:

• AT liter jar fold the peel of lychee fruits (necessarily washed beforehand).
• Fill the peel with a liter of vodka or alcohol (per liter jar).
• insist in dark place a week, shaking the jar every day, rearrange for storage in the refrigerator.

Can you eat lychee fruit for gout?

The use of litchi can harm a person, for example, if he has a disease such as gout. You should be aware that a large amount of carbohydrates in lychee can cause a feeling of heaviness in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as increased gas formation and pain in the stomach.

How to eat lychee and when not to eat it?

Is there an allergy to the lychee berry?

Allergy to lychee can manifest itself, especially in those who have a strong sensitivity to various components. Lychee should be consumed in reasonable quantities, one fruit per day is useful for a “test”, and only 3 fruits is the daily nome of a person.

Lychee essential oil: properties and uses

Litchi essential oil is widely used as an adjuvant for prolonging the beauty and youth of the body. The oil is often used as an additive to caring cosmetics. The oil helps to make hair shiny and smooth, strengthens its growth and makes it healthy, restoring the structure. In addition, lychee oil has a delicate, subtle, fresh scent that is often used in aromatherapy to invigorate, energize, and refresh the body.

Lychee syrup: properties and uses

Lychee syrup is a concentrated product made from the pulp and juice of the fruit. The use of syrup is wide. It can be added to alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for a fresh taste. As a standalone remedy, lychee syrup is used as a syrup for coughs and other colds. The syrup gives the body the necessary "portion" of vitamins and strengthens the protective function of the immune system.

Lychee syrup

How to make a drink from lychee?

To prepare a delicious drink, you can use both fresh fruits and lychee syrup. In the case of using syrup, it can simply be dissolved in a carbonated drink, juice, or even water. Fresh lychee pulp should be ground in a blender and mixed with any other liquid. Add sugar or any other syrup to taste and preferences.

How to make lychee salad?

You will need:

• Arugula - a handful of lettuce (approximately 50-70 g).
• Orange - the pulp of one not large fruit (without zest and chaff).
• Cheese "Dor Blue" - 50 g (or another with blue mold).
• Apple vinegar - a few drops
• Sesame oil - 1-2 tsp
• Lychee pulp - 100 g (without peel and pit)
• Sesame seeds and spices to taste

Cooking:

• Wash the arugula leaves, put them in a dish, season with vinegar and oil, mix.
• Peel the orange and fold the fruit fillet on top of the arugula
• Spread the lychee pulp nicely along with the orange
• Cheese crumbles with hands on top of fruits
• The salad is decorated with sesame seeds, you can once again flavor with vinegar.

Using lychee to make salads

Lychee: how to store and how much?

Lychee is desirable to sit immediately after purchase. The longer you keep it, the worse it gets. Every day, the amount of vitamins "disappears" from the lychee. At room temperature, litchi can be stored for no more than three days.

If the lychee shell is intact, it can be stored in the refrigerator for about two weeks. Pay attention to the peel, if it darkens, the fruit deteriorates. Lychee can be salted, canned or frozen for long term storage.

How to freeze lychee?

• Remove the skin from the lychee
• Carefully squeeze out the bone
• Place the lychee pulp in a plastic bag or food container.
• Keep lychee in the freezer for up to a year

Video: “Lychee. Thai fruit, berry

The merits of fresh fruits of the Chinese plum can not be overestimated. This is a unique pantry of vitamins and nutrients, which in no case should be abandoned. The only minus of the product is seasonality, in the cold season you can’t serve it to the table. this fruit.

Since lychee is still a little known fruit for us, not everyone knows how to handle it. If canned or frozen fruits go on sale ready-to-eat, then they will have to be peeled fresh on their own. And here there are subtleties.

How to clean lychee

What happens if you eat a lychee bone

It's definitely not worth experimenting. In order not to accidentally swallow the stone, it is better to first remove it and only then eat the fruit. Especially if the treat is intended for children.

Western medicine is wary of lychee seeds, while Chinese healers have used them since ancient times as an anthelmintic and analgesic, as well as to treat certain diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. But, important point: bones pass first heat treatment, are crushed into powder and only then they make healing infusions.

According to scientists, under the influence of high temperatures toxic substances, which are contained in lychee seeds, lose their power.

In a word, so that later once again do not worry and do not tempt fate, it is better to put the bone not in your mouth, but, for example, in flower pot. Well, or just throw it away.

How many Chinese plum fruits can you eat per day

The question is not idle, given that overeating threatens with bloating, colic and allergic reactions.

The optimal single serving is 100 g of lychee (one medium-sized fruit weighs about 20 g). Children definitely should not eat more, and adults can "take a supplement" if there is no negative reaction of the body.

But it is better not to exceed the limit of 12 pieces. Although the lychee saturates so quickly that eating it endlessly is hardly possible even if desired.

Attention!

The fruits of the Chinese plum, eaten on an empty stomach, drastically reduce blood sugar levels. Diabetics should use them with caution.

Nursing mothers are allowed no more than 5 fetuses per day. You need to put the baby to the chest 45 minutes after the lychee was eaten.

Those who seek to lose weight should calculate the rate individually, based on the total number of calories consumed per day.

Lychee Recipes

In the homeland of the fruit - in China, wine and juice are traditionally made from it. In addition, fruits are preserved in syrup, it is this product that most often replaces fresh lychee for us.

Yet Chinese manufacturers salt the fruits, laying them in bamboo stalks. The taste is very spicy, somewhat reminiscent of soaked grapes.

But for us, lychee is more familiar in its natural state (sweet). Refreshing desserts or ice cream toppings are made from it. For example, you can cook such a fruit mix.

Salad "Rest in the tropics"

This vitamin salad is good at any time of the year. It is low in calories, energizes and will be a great alternative to confectionery if we are on a diet, but we want to treat ourselves to “delicious”.

We will need:

• 100 g strawberries and lychee (you can take canned)
• small pineapple
• 3 tbsp natural yogurt
• 3 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

How to cook

1. Pineapple, without peeling the tail, cut in half and carefully remove the pulp with a special dessert knife or spoon. Don't forget to remove the tough, fibrous core.
2. We cut strawberries and peeled lychee arbitrarily, but not very large, pineapple pulp into cubes.
3. We mix all the fruit ingredients, season with yogurt and orange juice.
4. Put in a "boat" of pineapple, decorate as you wish.

Oriental sorbet

Such a dessert is superbly refreshing in the summer. Gourmets will surely enjoy its exquisite taste and aroma.

We will need:

• a can of canned lychee (500 g)
• 1 kg strawberries
• 4 tbsp. spoons of sugar
• 50 g fresh ginger root
• 1 large lemon

How to cook

1. Drain the syrup from the lychees. Next, puree them in a blender along with strawberries.
2. Grate the ginger, squeeze the juice from the lemon. Add both ingredients to the remaining lychee syrup mixed with sugar. Bring everything together to a boil, then reduce the heat to a minimum and cook the mass for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Mix fruit puree with syrup, let cool.
4. Beat the mass lightly, transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer.
5. Every half an hour, the dessert must be mixed so that large frozen lumps do not form.
6. After 3 hours, dessert can be served at the table.

Chicken with exotic fruits

Fans of "solid" meat dishes will surely appreciate the following recipe. The main thing to remember is that only fresh lychee is suitable for it, preferably with a slight sourness.

Light fillet with a spicy Asian touch is suitable for both everyday menu and holiday table. Once you try it, you will want to cook it again and again.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce and peanut butter
• 5 peeled lychee
• 1 carambola
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 40 ml sherry
• ½ teaspoon potato starch
• ground black pepper to taste

Cooking

1. Rinse the fillet, prepare, cut into small cubes.
2. We remove the bones from the lychee, divide the carambola into slices.
3. Heat the peanut butter in a wok, add soy sauce and let them boil.
4. In the mixture, quickly fry the fillet, often turning the pieces over so as not to burn.
5. Next, add fruit and ginger, pour in the sherry and mix everything thoroughly.
6. We stand on fire for no more than 5 minutes, we introduce starch slightly diluted with water. Pepper the thickened sauce, remove the dish from the heat and serve. A green salad is a good side dish.

Lychee - great for fusion cuisine. It gives the dishes a refined, oriental touch. Feel free to experiment with this fruit, which the ancient Chinese gave the name "paradise grapes" for a reason, and enjoy the results.

Surely you have repeatedly seen an unusual product on the shelves of the store, in appearance, in some way, reminiscent of strawberries. We'll tell you a secret - it's very sweet and extraordinarily delicious fruit. Its name is lychee. In this article, we will talk in more detail about what kind of fruit it is, where it came from and, as they say, how and with what it is eaten.

What is a lychee?

As you already understood, lychee is a rather exotic variety of fruit. Where does the lychee come from? And why is it called that?

Litchichinensis - this is the full name of the lychee fruit in Latin, which literally means "Chinese plum". It is not difficult to guess that this sweet and sour berry comes from China. Now the product is roaming around various countries: such as Asia, America and many others.

This fruit is the fruit evergreen tree reaching incredible heights. As mentioned earlier, litchi from afar resembles strawberries. The weight of the fruit ranges from 15-20 grams. The pulp of the fruit is covered with a thin and fairly hard peel of red-burgundy color. The pulp of the fruit is intended for consumption. Inside the lychee there is a medium-sized bone, which is removed along with the peel.

Interesting! There is an opinion that the lychee stone is poisonous. Although Asian doctors claim that after heat treatment, this poison evaporates. Now many people take out the pit of the fruit and use it to grow a houseplant.

Lychee - Enough sweet fruit However, sour notes can also be guessed in its taste. The flesh of the fruit resembles the taste of white grapes.

Lychee fruit composition

It is worth noting that this fruit is very useful for the human body.

Lychee pulp contains a large number of useful trace elements and vitamins. Undoubtedly, the taste of the fruit tells us about many of them. The sweetness is acquired due to the content of fructose in the composition of the lychee, and the slight sourness of the fruit is provided by vitamin C.

It is worth noting separately the content in the composition of the fruit of such a vitamin as PP. In layman's terms, it's nicotinic acid. Why is it useful? Nicotinic acid helps to expand our blood vessels, improve blood flow. That is why the use of lychee fruit helps stimulate blood flow to certain parts of the human body. In addition to PP, lychee contains trace elements such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, iodine and many other components important for the human body.

Interesting! There is an opinion that lychee fruit is an aphrodisiac and promotes a sexual surge of strength in men.

Oriental doctors claim that the lychee fruit is also useful for patients with a diagnosis of " diabetes". Lychee fruitfully affects the stabilization of human blood sugar levels. In addition, the lychee fruit is used as one of the ways to fight cancer.

How do you eat lychee?

Many people are lost at the sight of such an exotic product. There is even a misconception that it is very difficult to cleanse lychee. In fact, there are no difficulties in peeling Chinese plums.

How to eat lychee? First of all, you should pay attention to the quality of the product. There should be no visible damage to the peel, and the fruit itself should be fairly firm. Otherwise, the fruit is not worth buying.

To clean the lychee, you need to make an incision in a circle along the top with a knife and remove the “cap”. Now it remains only to slightly push the fruit so that the white pulp comes out. In this form, you can eat a berry, taking out a bone from there.

Interesting! Many people eat the lychee fruit, for example, with ice cream. In China, it is widely believed that it can not only be eaten, but also drunk. From the juice of the berry, a very tasty wine is obtained.

Also check out the video tutorial on how to properly clean and eat lychees.

Lychee fruit benefits

As already mentioned, the fruit is able to normalize the level of sugar in human blood. In addition, lychee is useful for patients diagnosed with atherosclerosis. This product also improves performance. digestive system, stimulates favorable job intestines and stomach. In general, lychee is recommended for people with the disease. of cardio-vascular system. Also, the fruit is useful for women during breastfeeding.

Contraindications

Like all other products, the main contraindication to the use of this fruit is its individual intolerance. No specific contraindications were found. But don't neglect it. Excessive consumption can lead to the formation of itchy skin. Note that daily rate consumption of the product is not more than 200 grams.

Now you know everything you need to know about what a lychee fruit is! And when you meet him in the store, you will not look at him as a curiosity, but buy it right away - after all, lychee is so tasty and healthy!

Lychee fruit: composition and beneficial features. Lychee fruit in medicine and cooking. How to eat lychee

Lychee is an unusual and even outlandish name for us, and those who hear it for the first time will not immediately think of a tropical fruit. And this fruit, like many previously unknown fruits, is not only tasty, but also healthy.
What is lychee

What is a lychee? This is the name of a tree from the Sapind family: the family is very large - it has about 150 genera, and there are much more species - as many as 2000. The vast majority of these species grow only in the tropics: in America, Asia, Africa, but in Australia there are not so many of them .
Here we will talk a little about the types of lychee that grow in Asia. This fruit has other names: “lisi” and “liji”, and by these names one might think that China is its homeland.
Perhaps this is true: in ancient China, lychee was actually used - references to this are found in documents dating back to the 2nd century BC. Then the fruit came to neighboring countries, and it was also appreciated there - they began to grow it throughout Southeast Asia, and then on other continents.
Lychee came to Europe much later - only in the 17th century. For the first time, Europeans were able to read it detailed description in the book of González de Mendoza, a Spanish writer interested in the history of China. He wrote that lychees are similar to plums, and you can eat them as much as you like - there will be no heaviness in the stomach. Therefore, one of the names of lychee is Chinese plum, and these fruits are grown today in many countries - even in the southern states of the United States.
Lychee fruits are small, ovoid or oval, up to 3.5 cm in diameter, and weigh - at most - about 20 grams. The peel of the fruit is dense, pimply and bumpy, of a rich red color, and is separated from the pulp quite easily. The pulp in lychee fruits is very interesting - jelly-like, with a white or cream tint, and inside it there is a large brown seed. The taste of this pulp is very pleasant and refreshing - sweet and sour, and the aroma is not inferior to it - you want to inhale it again and again.

Composition and beneficial properties of lychee fruit

The Chinese often call lychee "dragon's eye": white flesh, dark seed. Lychee is very rich vitamin composition and many useful features. It has a lot of healthy pure water, quite a lot of complex carbohydrates, there are proteins, a little fat and dietary fiber. The amount of sugar in lychee fruits depends on the area in which the fruits grew, as well as on their variety: it can be about 6-14%.
Vitamins - C, E, H, K, group B; minerals - potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, chlorine, phosphorus, iron, iodine, manganese, copper, zinc, fluorine. There are few calories in lychee, but more than other similar fruits - about 76 kcal per 100 grams. There is much more vitamin C in lychee than other vitamins, and potassium is in the first place among the minerals - therefore, the lychee fruit is very useful for the cores.
The Chinese have always believed that its use helps the heart, and today in China it is used to prevent cardiovascular disease, atherosclerosis, and also to reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol in the body.
Lychee has a tonic effect on the body, and in the countries of the East it is also considered a strong aphrodisiac - Hindus even say that lychee is the fruit of love. It quenches thirst, relieves constipation, normalizes the work of the stomach and intestines, helps to lose weight. The use of litchi is recommended for anemia, diseases of the liver and pancreas, gastritis, peptic ulcer and diabetes.
In combination with lemongrass and other medicinal herbs, lychee is used in China to treat cancer. Lychee peel is also used: a decoction of it helps prevent the accumulation of fluid in the tissues and improves the tone of the body.

Lychee fruit in medicine

Oriental medicine especially often uses litchi to treat diseases of the kidneys, liver and lungs - these organs are considered the main ones by oriental specialists.
Lychee improves the functioning of the kidneys and liver, and has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the lungs: this fruit is recommended for bronchitis, asthma and tuberculosis. With diabetes, it is enough to eat 10 fruits a day to normalize blood sugar levels.

Many countries in Southeast Asia make good money growing and selling lychees. For example, in Thailand, the share of exports of this fruit is quite most among all the rest: the areas on which lychee grows are constantly increasing - it is profitable to grow lychee, because it is stored for a long time, and it can be freely transported to other countries.
You can feel the real taste of lychee only by tasting a fresh fruit, but in dried, frozen and even canned form, these fruits retain many of their beneficial properties. Lychee ice cream can be stored for more than a month, and at the same time they will not lose their taste and healing qualities.
Lychee is also grown in Vietnam - in the northern regions, and is also exported to many countries of the world, including Russia.
When you buy lychee in the store, pay attention to the color of the skin of the fruit: a dark skin means that this fruit was removed from the branch a long time ago, and it is not tasty, and there is little use in it. The skin of a fresh fruit is red, soft, but not too soft, and does not show any signs of damage.

How to eat lychee. Lychee fruit in cooking

Eating lychee is very easy: the fruit must be washed, peeled, and the pulp put on a plate. The fruits of lychee can remind us of cherries in some way - the seeds are pulled out of them like bones. You can add peeled lychee fruits to champagne - it will turn into an amazing drink.
Lychee is added to desserts and sauces, ice cream and drinks, they are used to make fillings for pies, and the enterprising Chinese have learned to make wine from it. Lychee goes well with fish, chicken and even pork; you can serve lychee with pates and fried dishes, and it is always good in salads.

Pancakes stuffed with fruit

You can cook different dishes, but we suggest you try pancakes stuffed with fruit as a dessert. At first glance, the recipe seems somewhat exotic, but today it is not difficult to buy any fruit, so it's worth a try - children will especially like it.
You need to take a little flour - only 150 g, one whole egg and one yolk, 300 ml of coconut milk, banana, papaya and mango - 1 pc each, passion fruit - 2 pcs, and lychee - 4 pcs. In addition, you will need lime juice, 2 tbsp. liquid honey, 3-4 leaves of fresh mint, 1 tbsp. powdered sugar, a pinch of salt and vegetable oil for frying.
Sift the flour, add eggs, and then, gradually adding coconut milk and oil, knead the dough. Cover it and leave for half an hour. Prepare fruit filling: mix peeled and chopped banana and papaya in a deep bowl, pour over lime juice, mix, add chopped mango and passion fruit, lychee and honey. From the prepared dough, bake 8-10 thin pancakes, put the filling in the center of each, roll the pancakes into a cone, place on a plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar and decorate with mint.
You can also make homemade ice cream with lychee: it will resemble what is prepared in an industrial way, but will be much healthier and safer. 1 kg of lychee is peeled, cut, pitted, mixed with the juice of 5 lemons and ½ liter of pineapple juice. Gelatin is prepared in advance: soak the plate for 10 minutes in cold water, wring out, and then dissolve it together with sugar (250 g) in part lemon juice, and also added to the lychee. Mix everything well and put in the freezer in a plastic container. After a few hours, the dessert is ready.
Are there any contraindications to eating lychee fruit? Surprisingly, there are practically none: litchi can be harmful only with individual intolerance, but they should not be abused either - in this case, allergic reactions may occur. For children, these tasty fruits can be eaten little by little - no more than 100 grams per day, otherwise they may develop acne on the skin. In adults, with excessive use of lychee, the mucous membrane of the oral cavity suffers.
Author: Gataulina Galina