Longan (Dimocarpus longan)
Longan (Dimocarpus longan syn. Euphoria longan) is a tropical edible fruit in the soapberry family Sapindaceae, native to South and Southeast Asia. It is known locally as longyan, mata kucing, kelengkeng, mora and lam yai. The name longan literally means dragon eye or cat's eye, because the fruit, when it is shelled, resembles an eyeball. Longan tree is a tropical tree growing 6-12 m tall and up to 14 m wide, wuth 76 cm diameter trunk. The bark is rough with long, slightly drooping, heavily foliaged branches. The leaves are evergreen, alternate, paripinnate with 4-10 opposite, elliptic, ovate-oblong or lanceolate, blunt-tipped leaflets , 10-20 cm long and 3.5-5 cm wide. The leaves are leathery, wavy, glossy green on the upper side, and grayish-green and minutely hairy below. The flowers are pale-yellow, 5-6 petaled and hairy-stalked, borne in upright panicles, with male and female flowers on the same panicle. The fruits are in hanging clusters, globose, 1.5 to 3.5 cm diameter, with yellow-brown to light reddish-brown, thin, brittle and pebbled rinds. The fruit is edible with the aril or flesh whitish, juicy, translucent, succulent, and sweet. The seed is small, round, hard, shining black with a circular white spot at the base, giving it the aspect of an eye. Apart from eaten fresh, the longan is often dried or canned in syrup, and used in Chinese and Asian cuisines, soups, snacks, desserts, and sweet-and-sour foods. Fresh longan has white and juicy flesh, whereas the flesh of dried longan is brown to almost black, leathery and smoky in flavor. Longan is considered 'heaty' in Chinese medicine.  Longan (Dimocarpus longan) Author: Ayacop (public domain) | ||
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