They are brown in colour and often referred as little brothers of lychee fruits, Longans, whose scientific term is Dimocarpus Longan, originated in China and later spread across the globe. They are now largely cultivated in Thailand (harvest is from June to end
of August).
This delicious tropical fruit is also known as “dragon eye”, because of it’s white eye shaped mark on the pit that appears as a pupil in the large eye.
This fruit is as aromatic as lychee. It is translucent white, juicy and sweet, with a nice, but slightly acid taste and a nutty flavour.
Longan fruit contains rich amount of vitamin C that is equal to 80% of daily requirement. It also contains minerals like iron, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium. It is also rich in Vitamin A and essential in anti-oxidants.
In traditional Chinese medicine, longans are used as a tonic for maintaining a good heart health, relieving stress and increasing the skin beauty. They are also used to boost your memory, and they are known to have calming and relaxing effects.
In Chiang Mai, you can buy longan fruits in every markets and you will find plenty of them (as well as lychee) in front of Suan Buak Haad Park (see city map D5).
