How To Eat Lychees The Right Way, From Peeling To Serving

With a delicate floral, almost perfume-like taste, the lychee is an exotic fruit that really should be in use in most kitchens. And while canned lychees are a great shelf-stable alternative, trust us when we say that nothing compares to a fresh lychee's ephemeral flavor. But how do you get into this exotic fruit? We're here to break down how to eat lychees the right way, from peeling to serving.

The bumpy exterior of a lychee hides a few obstacles before you can safely pop that fruit in your mouth and eat it whole. First, there is another layer of translucent, almost skin-like coating. Then, the flesh envelopes a hard pit that your body would be hard pressed to process. It's a lot of steps to get through.

But is a lychee worth jumping through all those hoops? Absolutely, if you're the kind of person who enjoys juicy, delicious fruit that tastes like nothing else on the planet. Read on to learn how to discover its unusual flavor for yourself.

To prep the lychees for eating, you'll need a cutting board, two bowls or plates, a paring knife, and ideally, some ice for serving. The board should be big enough to hold the lychees you're prepping, and to give you some room to work on. 

One bowl is for the lychee peels and pits, and another is for the prepped lychees itself, though you can also use a platter for presentation in this case. That's also where the ice comes in — it helps chill the lychees faster and ensures they are perfectly cold when you're ready to eat it. 

Finally, we recommend using a paring knife, which may be the kitchen drawer's most underappreciated tool, due to its small size and agility. This knife will help you get into the cavity of the lychee to pull out the pit without breaking the flesh. The paring knife should be sharp and well cared for, as it makes it safer to handle the fruit.

Choose ripe lychees. They should be firm and have a bright red or pinkish skin. Avoid fruits with brown or dry spots, as those can point to rot inside.

Wash the lychees under cool running water to remove any dirt or residue. It's a big mistake to peel fruit without washing it first, as you could be transferring a lot of germs into the fruit itself.

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Hold a lychee firmly in one hand. Use your thumb or a small knife to gently peel off the skin, starting from the stem end. The skin should come off easily. In fact, it just may be that you grab both the outer layer and membrane and pull it off in one go — that's perfectly fine, and will save you a step later on.

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If both layers didn't come off at once, fret not. Once you've removed the pink skin, also peel off the translucent membrane. Discard it entirely to expose the white flesh inside.

Once the outer layers are removed, you can eat the lychee right away, being mindful of the pit. The seed is not edible as it is, because it contains a toxin known as hypoglycin A. While in some folk medicine applications, the pit can be ground up and even brewed into tea, it's not to be consumed by itself. When serving lychee to guests or children, it's best to remove the fruit from the pit ahead of time.

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Use your fingers or the small paring knife we've prepared in advance to separate the flesh from the seed in the center. You may need to do so gradually, running your finger or knife along the border of the fruit's opening and gently tugging the fruit away from the pit. This will likely require a bit of practice, and your first few tries may end up in ripped fruit.

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If your lychee rips in the process, don't worry, as it's still perfectly edible. Use your fingers to pull the pit out, and discard it.

Check the flesh for any brown spots or damage, and discard those parts if present.

Chill the lychees completely, and place the peeled lychees in a bowl or on a serving plate. We love serving lychees over ice for the best flavor. That way, the fruit stays cold even if it's out for a while.

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You can store any leftover peeled lychee flesh in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and eat or use it all within 1-2 days.

Once you've broken your lychee down, there's no shortage of creative things you can make with it. The easiest thing, of course, is to just eat it cold. We love sprinkling some fresh, diced mint on lychee and popping that in our mouths like a simple fruit salad.

But lychee goes much further, and as we're sure you've heard, its classic preparation is in drinks. You can use it in a classic lychee martini or a citrusy lychee sangria, both of which taste refreshing on a hot summer's day. You can even make a simple syrup for a unique cold coffee, and keep that in your fridge for a couple of weeks.

If you're feeling ambitious, you can try your hand at a lychee dessert. If you're expecting company, make a strawberry, coconut, and lychee layer cake that will wow your guests. It's also amazing in a simple smoothie bowl or fruit salad.