This weekend I found myself at the fresh fruit table at my local Whole Foods Market. A friend and I were determined to bake a pie with so many fresh berries in season. Besides, what better way to spend a beautiful summer day than slaving away in the kitchen? We settled on a huge box of blueberries for the pie (along with a few blackberries, because I can’t resist them).
As we were looking over the fruit however, something caught my eye: fresh lychees.
I had never had a lychee before, so I jumped at the opportunity to buy the small box of spiny fruit. I really had no idea what to expect from the fruit. I had heard lots of things about lychees, mostly that they are extremely sweet. As for the flavor itself, it was a complete mystery to me.
I got them home and peeled one easily of the tough, spiny skin, revealing the extremely juicy and fragrant flesh. I took a big bite of the lychee and one thing came right to mind: “Oh, it’s a big grape.” The flavor is reminiscent of a green grape, with the texture being very similar as well (minus the skin of the grape).
I can definitely see why people are drawn to the lychee. I don’t know that they will become a staple in my house, but I’m certainly glad I tried them. Have you tried lychees? Do you love them?