Longan

Dimocarpus longan

fruit

A small round fruit with thin brown skin and sweet, translucent white flesh around a black seed; a cousin of lychee and rambutan, eaten fresh or dried. 100 g provide 84 mg of vitamin C.

Origin

Southeast Asia

Season (United States)

imported · all year round

Preparation

The thin skin peels off with a fingernail; the black seed is left.

Did you know?

Its shiny black seed bears a small white spot, like a pupil: hence its Chinese name, lóngyǎn, “dragon's eye”.