Exotic fruit lychee: benefit and harm. Than the skin of lychee is useful

Lychee (aka "fox", "liji", "Chinese plum", "lacy", "dragon's eye") is a delicious and healthy fruit that can be found not only in Southeast Asian countries, but also in domestic supermarkets. Recently, these fruits are exported to us mostly from Vietnam and Thailand. Nevertheless, many still do not know what tastes and how to use the litchi fruit. The benefits and harms of the "Chinese plum" are of interest to many consumers. Let's try to figure this out.

What does the litchi look like?

This fruit is small (2.5 to 3.5 cm in diameter) and weighs about 15, maximum 20 g. It has an oval or ovoid shape. The reddish or pinkish skin of the litchi is dense, but fragile, consists of numerous tubercles. The jelly juicy flesh of the fruit has a white or cream shade. It has excellent, refreshing, sweet and sour taste and pleasant aroma. Inside the fetus is an inedible seed, oblong in shape, dark brown in color. This is how the lychee looks like, the photo demonstrates this clearly. This interesting fruit grows in clusters on evergreen trees of the family sapindovyh, reaching a height of 30 m. They have a thick, sprawling crown. Their leaves are dense and leathery, usually rich in dark green hue. Blossomed larch trees are numerous yellowish flowers, collected in hanging inflorescences, similar to "umbrellas."

Where did this tropical fruit come from ?

The native land of litchi is considered to be China, where this fruit has been grown for more than 1000 years. From ancient times, the Chinese called this fruit "the eye of the dragon," because of the bright combination of red peel, white flesh and brown seed. In Europe, this delicious fruit was only recognized in the 17th century. And where does the litchi grow now? Nowadays, the trees of the family of sapinds actively bear fruit in the vast territories of Southeast Asia, Australia, in South America and Africa (South Africa), and also in the south of the USA. This fruit is exported to Russia mainly from the northern regions of Vietnam and Thailand. Harvest in the subtropics in May-June, cutting grapes together with the stem part of the branch. Collected individually, the fruit is extremely quickly spoiled and begins to wander.

Lychee - a storehouse of vitamins and minerals

This tropical fruit has a variety of useful properties, as it contains a lot of vitamins. The "dragon eye" is rich in valuable micro- and macro-elements. The lychee includes vitamins of group B, including thiamin, riboflavin, niacin. Also, the "dragon eye" contains vitamins K, E, H and folic acid. Especially much in its composition of vitamin C. In addition, lychee is rich in useful dietary fiber and plenty of clean water. In addition, the Chinese plum is rich in minerals, including copper, fluorine, zinc, manganese, iodine. It contains phosphorus, sodium, calcium, iron, sulfur and potassium. The sugar content in lychee varies between 5-15%, depending on the place of growth of the fetus.

Litchi fruit. Benefit and harm

Such a high content of valuable vitamins, micro- and macro elements, as well as fiber and pure water makes the "Chinese plum" an extremely useful product. It saturates the person with the necessary substances, gives strength and vivacity. Lychee has an excellent tonic effect on the body as a whole, mobilizes the immune system. In China, it was known from ancient times that the "dragon eye" is the strongest natural aphrodisiac. He is able to rejuvenate the body, activate attraction and maintain "love" functions at the proper level. Successfully used to prevent and treat many serious diseases of litchi fruit. The benefits and harms of him, in fact, are disproportionate. It is believed, "Chinese plum" can not bring serious damage to human health. But its use is enormous. Nevertheless, it is advisable to use caution when using the fetus. Do not immediately have too much lychee. Otherwise, an allergic reaction may occur. It manifests itself as acne on the skin and damage to the mucosa in the oral cavity. To begin with, you should try one or two fetuses and track the reaction of the body. If everything is in order - you can fearlessly eat up to 250 g "Chinese plum" per day (adults). Children over 2 years should consume about 100 g of fruit. In the diet of one-year-old babies lychee include undesirable. Contraindicated "Chinese plum" to those who have been found to be her individual intolerance.

How is lychee fruit used in folk medicine? Than it is useful?

This tropical fruit is widely used in folk oriental medicine. It can and should be used for the prevention of avitaminosis and anemia. Lychee is often used to prevent cardiovascular disease and atherosclerosis, because it contains a significant amount of potassium. In the fetus there is nicotinic acid, which positively affects the lipid metabolism in the body. Helps to purify from cholesterol blood and dilates the vessels of lychee fruit. Why is it useful? It is used to normalize blood sugar, so it is indicated to people who have diabetes or hypoglycemia. In addition, on the basis of the "Chinese plum" are useful decoctions and infusions that normalize the work of the gastrointestinal tract, have a soft, laxative effect, favorably affect the work of the liver and kidneys. Taking lychee drugs is prescribed for people with lung diseases, including those suffering from bronchitis, asthma or having tuberculosis. These drugs facilitate breathing and normalize the function of the respiratory system. Regular use of lychee is useful for those who have peptic ulcer, gastritis and pancreas diseases. In eastern medicine, the "Chinese plum" in conjunction with lemongrass is used even for the treatment of cancer, including breast cancer. Is the lychee peel useful? It is no less valuable than the flesh of the fetus. Litchi rind is used for preparation of broths and infusions, which have a pronounced diuretic effect. They contribute to the removal of excess fluid from the tissues of the body, and increase overall tone and improve well-being.

"Chinese plum" in dietary nutrition

Nutritionists recommend using lychee in order to saturate the body with water, as well as reduce the feeling of hunger. In the "Chinese plum" is pectin. It allows you to quickly saturate the body, giving nutrition to the beneficial microflora of the intestine. Therefore, it is recommended to eat several lychee fruits before each meal, which will reduce the standard portion of food and not overeat. Calorie content of the lychee is only 76 kcal / 100 g, so people can fear it without fear, carefully watching their weight.

How to choose a good, fresh fruit in the store?

If you want to buy quality, delicious fruits, you need to follow the following simple rules. Firstly, when choosing a litchi, one should pay attention to the color of its skin. It should be pink or red. Brown color indicates that the fruit has been torn off the tree long enough and has already managed to deteriorate. The taste of dark lychee color will be unpleasant, and the smell is more harsh and strong. The light yellow color of the fruit, on the contrary, speaks of its immaturity. This fruit is also not worth buying. Secondly, when choosing the "Chinese plum" it is necessary to pay attention to the presence of damage. A good fruit will not have any suspicious stains, dents, cracks. Thirdly, lychee should be elastic, as if it will soon "burst". Too soft or, conversely, a solid fruit should not be taken. Fourthly, in the place where the petiole was located, there should be no white spots and mold. And finally, the litchi's smell should be pleasant, fresh, slightly reminiscent of the rose's fragrance. Too heavy and sweet speaks of the overripe and stale fetus.

"The Eye of the Dragon" in Cooking

How to eat lychee? The fruit should only be washed under a stream of water, remove the skin from it, and then remove the inedible bone. Juicy flesh of the fruit can be eaten fresh. Reminiscent of a mixture of strawberries, white grapes, currants and dried apricots lychee fruit. Its taste is pleasant, sweet and sour, fresh. In addition to eating fresh, lychee canned, dried, frozen and cooked. It makes drinks, desserts, including delicious ice cream, various sauces, mousses, jellies. On the basis of lychee, they make an excellent golden wine, with a pleasant fruit fragrant and mild sweet and sour aftertaste. "Dragon's Eye" is used in the preparation of dishes from game, meat and sea fish. In Chinese restaurants, you can taste deep-fried shrimp under sweet and sour sauce with lychee (Lizhi Xia Qiu). If you manage to purchase a fresh "Chinese plum", be sure to try to cook a sweet and sour chicken with almonds under lime sauce at home. In addition, the fruit is used in the preparation of a variety of pastries, it is added to the filling of pies and pies, it makes cookies and cakes.

How to store lychee?

The issue of keeping the "dragon's eye" deserves special attention. In general, this fruit is expedient to eat as soon as possible - in the first day after the purchase. At room temperature, lychee can be safely kept for 2-3 days. In the refrigerator, at 7 ° C, lychee can be kept for one or two weeks, provided the shell is intact and there is no damage. In general, this fruit quickly deteriorates, its skin turns dark and the amount of vitamins in its composition decreases. If you want to keep litchi for a long time, we advise you to peel the fruits from the peel and freeze them. You can also dry fruit or canned. In China, salted lychee is stored inside bamboo stems. In India and in Vietnam, the whole fruit is dried, after which the peel becomes firm, with such fruits called "nuts". In this article we have considered an interesting Chinese fruit - litchi, the benefit and harm of which concern many consumers. As you can see, the "Chinese plum" has practically no contraindications and therefore can be used without fear in food. Moreover, it is rich in vitamins, minerals and has a lot of undeniable advantages! Be sure to try this delicious exotic product.