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Food & Receipts

“The Fruit That’s a ‘Skin BHA’: How to Pick the Sweetest Ones Every Time”

6 October, 2024

Consuming lychees regularly can provide brain-boosting, appetite-stimulating, and digestive benefits. However, this fruit is also heaty and can trigger acne breakouts.

Ripe lychees are sweet and juicy, but choosing the wrong ones can result in sour, large-seeded, and thin-fleshed fruits. So, how can you select the best clusters of lychees with thick, sweet flesh? Experienced lychee growers share seven helpful tips to ensure you get your desired fruit.

1. Taste Testing

Tasting is the most direct and effective way to choose the best lychees. Ideal lychees will have thick, crisp, sweet, and juicy flesh with small seeds.

2. Flesh Color

Look for lychees with opaque white flesh that is translucent like crystal and juicy. Avoid lychees with flesh that appears dull, yellowish, or shows signs of shrinkage and reduced elasticity, as these are indications of aging and impending spoilage.

3. Color

Lychees with green skin tend to be sour and astringent, lacking sweetness. While deeply red lychees are very ripe and intensely sweet, their flesh may show signs of dehydration, becoming slightly dry and less crisp. These lychees don’t last long and can develop a strong sour taste if kept overnight.

Opt for lychees with red skin tinged with a hint of green, offering a balanced sweetness and crisp, juicy flesh.

4. Lychee Skin

Unripe lychees have thick, tightly adhered skin. In contrast, ripe lychees exhibit plump, elastic skin. Soft skin indicates overripeness or spoilage, so it’s best to avoid such fruits.

5. Stems

Examine the stems to assess the freshness of the lychees. Pay close attention to the junction between the stem and the fruit, as this area is most susceptible to insect attacks and is commonly known as “insect head.” Lychees with this issue are less tasty and prone to early decay, so it’s best to avoid them.

6. Aroma

Fresh lychees emit a distinctive sweet fragrance. If you detect a sour or strong alcoholic scent, the lychees have spoiled. A pungent smell indicates the presence of preservatives, which can be harmful to your health.

7. Size and Shape

According to experienced growers, size is not the primary concern; instead, focus on uniformity. Opt for clusters with evenly sized lychees.

Choose lychees that are round, plump, with bright red skin, and avoid those with pointed tips and thick skin, as they tend to be sour and astringent.

Note that lychees are perishable, so it’s best to buy only the amount you can consume within a day. If you purchase excess lychees, wash them thoroughly, dry them with paper towels, and wrap each fruit individually in newspaper.

Place the wrapped lychees in a ziplock bag and store them in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. This method can keep your lychees fresh for up to one to two weeks.

Additionally, the early-season lychees are often hybrids, and the prime season for lychees begins around May in the lunar calendar. While lychees are grown in various northern provinces, the sweetest and most delicious lychees originate from two renowned regions: Thanh Ha (Hai Duong) and Luc Ngan (Bac Giang). In recent years, lychees have been cultivated following VietGap standards and exported to international markets.