Lychee!

History
Also spelled ‘litchee’, ‘lichi’ or ‘lichee’, this delicately flavoured fruit is a member of the same family as the longan. The evergreen tree originated in China, where it has been cultivated as far back as 1700 BC. Chinese literature records that the lychee was taken on horseback from southern China to the imperial court in the north during the Han dynasty. This succulent fruit has featured often in Chinese poetry. It is now also grown in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hawaii, Florida and certain parts of the Mediterranean. It was introduced to Australia by the Chinese goldminers in the 1870s.

The ripe fruits are about the size of a small plum and have a reddish-brown or purple, rough ‘shell’ surrounding the translucent jelly-like flesh. The hard brown seed is inedible. The flesh is sweet and delicately flavoured with a slight acidity, somewhat similar to a grape. The crisp refreshing taste is the perfect ending to a meal.

Buying and Storage
Lychees are available in summer. Select bright, evenly coloured fruit with moist-looking, undamaged skin. The skin turns dull, red-brown and the scaly texture will become flattened when the lychee is fully ripe.  Store in the crisper of the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Preparation and Use 
Lychees are most commonly eaten fresh, once the skin has been removed. They make a great desert item, bit can really be enjoyed at any time.

Nutritional Value
Lychees are an excellent source of vitamin C and also provide dietary fibre and small quantities of minerals and vitamins.

6 fresh lychees have: 290kJ (69 Cals).
1.3g dietary fibre
49 mg vitamin C

Yields : 3 cups

Ingredients
1 teaspoon gelatine
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
2 cups pureed, peeled lychees
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 egg white, stiffly beaten

Method
Mix gelatine with ¼ of the water.
Add remaining water to the sugar and heat until dissolved.
Stir in gelatine and cool.
Add fruit puree and lime juice, and freeze to a mush-like consistency.
Beat well until smooth and then fold in beaten egg white.
Freeze until firm.

Prawn, Lychee and Mango Summer Salad

Serves 4

An excellent light lunchtime salad to serve with your favourite bread!

Ingredients
16 medium or large cooked prawns, peeled and deveined
½ cos lettuce, washed and broken into bite-size pieces
500gm lychees, skins and seeds removed
1 large mango, peeled and flesh removed from seed and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped pecan nuts
½ small salad onion, peeled and finely sliced
½ red capsicum, deseeded and finely sliced
1/3 lebanese cucumber, washed and finely sliced
Dressing
(or try alternate soy and sesame vinaigrette dressing)
200g low fat natural yoghurt
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp sweet chilli sauce
cracked black pepper to taste

Method
Combine all ingredients in a large salad bowl and gently fold through the prepared yoghurt dressing.  To make dressing, combine all ingredients in small bowl and whisk until well-combined.