FIJIAN LONGAN

Common Name: Fijian Longan
Vernacular Name: Kasai, Matoa, Dawa
Botanical Name: Pometia pinnata
Specimens From: Malaysia
Specimens Weight: 30 gm [1.06 oz] (average weight per fruit)

Fijian longan is a tropical fruit mainly from Sri Lanka, Malaysia, The Philipines, East Indonesia, Papua and the Pacific Islands. It is not a very common fruit found elsewhere.

The fruit is round or oval and it is much bigger than the common longan. It is green when immature and will turn purpish red, dull brown or almost black, depending on the various varieties. The shell is hard but it can still be prised opened with both thumbs with a little force.

Once peeled, the pulp looks similar to a lychee than to the longan but the taste is not as sweet nor juicy. The pulp is slightly yellowish in colour. This particular variety is only mildly sweet and the texture is chewy. It has a single seed which looks like a type of nuts. The seed is edible too and it is usually consumed roasted or boiled.


Fruit: Fijian longan; Pometia pinnata; Sapindaceae.


Other fruits in the same family: Lychee, Pulasan, Longan, Rambutan.


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LYCHEE

Common Name: Lychee
Vernacular Name:  Litchi
Botanical Name: Litchi chinensis
Specimens From: China
Specimens Weight: 18 gm (average weight per fruit)

Lychee, a native fruit to Southern China, can also be found in many countries in Asia. It is quite a well-known fruit as it is widely available worldwide.

There are several cultivars of lychee. The skin is usually ranging from red to pink and some with green tint. It will turn dark brown after refrigerated. The skin is rough but thin and so it tears easily when pressed with your fingernails. Lychee is usually very juicy and it tends to leak all over your fingers when prised.

The thick flesh is white to slight pinkish or grayish with a brown glossy, hard seed, which should not be eaten. There are seedless lychees too but are not common. Some lychees are very sweet and some with a sweet and sour taste. The poorer and cheaper quality is acidic. It is high in Vitamin C. Slightly similar to its smaller cousin and lesser well-known, the longan(click to compare) but lychee is sweeter and bigger.

For those who prefer peeled and pitted, canned lychees in heavy syrup can be easily found in Asia and major supermarts. There are also dried lychees available in some places.

Lychee Juice

If you prefer to drink, you may make your own lychee juice. Pure and sweet on its own with nothing added.


Fruit: Lychee ; Litchi chinensis ; Sapindaceae.

Other fruits in the same family: Fijian Longan, Pulasan, Longan, Rambutan.


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PULASAN

Common Name: Pulasan
Botanical Name: Nephelium natubile
Specimens From: Malaysia

Pulasan, originated from Malaysia, is very rare once out of South-east Asia, other than the Philippines. This crew-cut, punky fruit, is the cousin of the hairy rambutan.

Pulasan, is way under-rated. If compare to the rambutan, it is bigger, sweeter and the flesh does not stick to the seed. Moreover, the seeds are edible. But surprisingly, not much is known about this exotic fruit.

Eating style is exactly the same as eating the rambutan. Just use both your thumbs to prise it open. The leathery skin is soft but it is thicker and slightly harder to tear it apart. Pop the white, translucent flesh into your mouth or just bite it from your hand.

The rind is usually red to reddish-black. The flesh is sweet and slightly juicy, plus the seed is edible and tastes like almond. I would prefer this fruit anytime better than the rambutan but it is usually priced higher.


Fruit: Pulasan ; Nephelium natubile ; Sapindaceae.


Other fruits in the same family: Fijian Longan, Longan, Lychee, Rambutan.


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LONGAN

Common Name: Longan
Vernacular Name:  Lungan, Dragon's eye
Botanical Name: Dimocarpus longan
Specimens From: Thailand

Longan, a native fruit to Southern China, is now grown in several Asian countries with Thailand leading the way and also in a few tropical states of the USA. The name, longan, is a Cantonese word (a dialect of Chinese) meaning "Dragon's eye". It is so called because, the translucent white flesh covering the black shiny seed resemblance the eyeball of an oriental dragon.

There are several varieties of longan. Some with very thin, tasteless flesh and hence, unpopular but this improved variety is meaty with thick and musky sweet flesh. Needless to say, it is very popular in South-east Asia, overtaken its bigger cousin (same family), the lychee.

Longan can be additive. The more you eat, the more you want! Just use both your thumb's nail to press the thin shell open. It is sweet and soft but not as juicy as lychee. It is great for snacking when being a couch potato.

Eating longan is believed to reduce fatigue, improve nervous system, improve stomach functioning, treatment for insomnia and several other claims.

For those who prefer it peel for the easy way out, canned longans in heavy syrup can be easily found in Asia.
And for the dried longan, known as "guiyuan" in Chinese Mandarin. The flesh will turn dark brown to black and will shrink, sticking to the seed. It is very popular in Asian's cooking especially in herbal soups and sweet desserts. But you can eat it raw too and it is sticky, chewy and sweet.
The dried longan can also be used for tea or plain drink. It is better to slice apart the dried flesh and discard the seeds, so as to let it fully absorb into the drink.

On its own with only hot water, it may not be sweet enough. Add sugar, red dates, goji berries, tea or any combinations of them to suit your taste. The photo shown is a glass of dried longan drink with nothing added.

Fruit: Longan; Dimocarpus longan; Sapindaceae.


Other fruits in the same family: Fijian Longan, Lychee, Pulasan, Rambutan.


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RAMBUTAN (Red Skin)

Common Name: Rambutan
Botanical Name: Nephelium lappaceum
Specimens From: Malaysia

Rambutan is a common fruit from South-east Asia as it is believed to be originated from around the region of Malaysia but is now cultivated in most of the tropical countries, with Thailand leading the production. The name derives from the Malay word, rambut, which means "hair" while the Chinese community call it the "red hairy" fruit. It is the most hairy fruit around and it is usually red but there is a younger brother (cultivar)which is usually smaller in size and has a yellow skin, but it is not so commonly found.

Rambutan is usually eaten out-of-hand. Just use both your thumbs to prise it open as the leathery skin is soft and easily tears apart. Pop the white, translucent flesh into your mouth or just bite it from your hand. But be careful of the single, light brown seed and don't accidentally swallow or eat it as it tastes terrible and should not be eaten.

The flesh is sweet but not as juicy nor as soft as the well-known cousin, "lychee", another red fruit in the same family. It is a nice fruit to eat but the irritating thing about rambutan is that, the skin of the seed usually sticks to the flesh and thereby end up eating the tastless skin as well. Most of the cultivars are not "freestone", only a handful is but it is hard to find!

As you can see from the first photo, the matured fruit is red and it is green when immature but some cultivars come in red skin, green hair(fruit on the right) even when it is fully riped. Do not choose those fruits with dried black hair as it indicates over-ripe and not fresh. It can still be eaten but it is hard, not so sweet and devoid of juice as it had already dried up.

Rambutans are also canned in syrup with the seeds taken off and some canned versions come with the cut pineapple stuffed inside the fruit but not sure if it ever exported to your country.

Rambutan Juice

If you prefer to drink, you may blend your own rambutan juice. Pure fruit juice with no sugar added as it is sweet on its own.


Fruit: Rambutan; Nephelium lappaceum; Sapindaceae.


Other fruits in the same family: Fijian Longan, Lychee, Pulasan, Longan.


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