Which lychee tastes best? A taste comparison of common lychee varieties
Speaking of lychee, perhaps the first thing everyone thinks of is the scene of Yang Guifei eating lychee in ancient times, when Emperor Ming of Tang had lychees sent from a thousand li away just to win a smile from Yang Guifei. This shows that in ancient times it was extremely difficult to eat fresh lychees. With the continuous progress and development of science today, it is now relatively easy to eat fresh lychees.
What kinds of lychee are there
There are many lychee varieties in China. According to a survey in the early days after liberation: Guangdong had 82 varieties; Fujian had 41 varieties; the varieties in Guangxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Taiwan, China and other provinces (regions) have no accurate statistics yet. Among the many lychee varieties, Guiwei and Nuomici are the best and are also the top choice for fresh eating; Guailv is an even more precious and hard-to-find variety. "Luogang Guiwei", "Bicun Nuomici" and "Zengcheng Guailv" are known as the "Three Outstanding Lychees".
1. Guiwei, a lychee variety
Also known as Guizhi, it is named for containing the fragrance of osmanthus. It is one of the finest varieties, and the best is produced in the suburbs of Guangzhou and Lingshan County in Guangxi. Guiwei has two strains: Quanhong and Yatoulv. The fruit is round and spherical, and the shell is light red, thin and crisp; the cracks are raised, small and pointed, and there is a relatively deep ring groove around the top of the fruit on both sides from the stem shoulder. These two features are characteristic of Guiwei; the flesh is yellow-white, soft and plump, the pit is small, and the taste is very sweet. It ripens in early July.
2. Nuomici, a lychee variety
Also known as Mizhi, it is the most valuable variety in Guangdong. It is a famous Guangdong specialty fruit both in China and abroad. It is mainly produced in Luogang District in the suburbs of Guangzhou and Xintang Town in Zengcheng City, followed by Conghua, Dongfan and other counties. The fruit is heart-shaped or nearly round, and the crooked fruit stalk is a varietal characteristic; it is yellow-waxy in color when first marketed and bright red at peak season; the cracks are large and narrow, arranged longitudinally, sparse, and slightly convex, and the suture line is broad and obvious; the top of the fruit is full and the stem end is slightly concave; the flesh is thick, the pit is small, and the flesh is yellow-white and semi-transparent, with soluble solids reaching 20%, an extremely sweet taste, a rich fragrance, and a glutinous yet tender and smooth texture, with excellent quality. It is the variety most loved by consumers. It is most suitable for fresh eating and drying. It ripens in early July. There are two strains: Hongpi Danuo and Baipi Xiaonuo.
3. Guailv, a lychee variety
It is a rare treasure among the lychees of Zengcheng, Guangdong, and also one of the famous Guangdong lychee varieties. In feudal times it was listed as a tribute item. The fruit is as large as a chicken seal, and the pit is as small as a pea; the peel is dark red with green; the cracks are flat, and the suture line is obvious; the flesh is thick and crisp, richly sweet and juicy, with a fresh fragrance in the mouth and a uniquely good flavor. It ripens from late June to early July.
4. Feizixiao, a lychee variety
Among the legends about the deliciousness of lychee, one line of poetry is especially famous: "A rider raises dust as the consort smiles, no one knows it is the lychees arriving." So among lychee varieties there is also one called "Feizixiao".
"Feizixiao" is called Tuoti in Sichuan, and is called Luhebao or Yuhebao in Taiwan, China. The characteristics of Feizixiao are green-red peel, large size, flesh color like white wax, crisp and refreshing with a clear sweetness, and a small pit. Legend has it that the lychees sent from a thousand li away back then to win a smile from Yang Guifei were Feizixiao.
Construction of a lychee plantation
1. Choose a good site. For high-yield lychee cultivation, choose hilly land or sloping land with an open terrain, a slope below 30 degrees, loose and fertile soil, and a water source, as an ideal site for developing a plantation.
2. Do good planning. For the selected site, carefully carry out the selection of varieties and the planning of divisions, roads, drainage and irrigation systems, fertilizer bases, shelterbelts and auxiliary buildings, so as to facilitate standardized management of the orchard.
3. Reasonably determine planting density. Generally, in mountainous land, a row spacing and plant spacing of 3.5×3.5 m or 3.5×4 m, with 50-60 plants per mu, is a relatively reasonable density.
4. Dig large holes and apply sufficient base fertilizer. For orchards reclaimed on hilly land, open contour terraces or contour trenches according to the row spacing specifications. Then dig planting holes at fixed points according to the selected plant spacing. The hole specifications are 1 m in length, width and depth, and each hole should be given 40 kg of composted and decomposed organic fertilizer such as garbage fertilizer, green manure, barnyard manure, and pig and cattle manure as base fertilizer.
5. Plant carefully. When planting, hold the seedling with one hand and gently backfill fine soil with the other, backfilling to about 2 cm above the roots, water thoroughly to settle the roots, then continue backfilling soil, and when the backfilled soil is about 10 cm above the ground, build it into a tree basin, then cover with thatch or grass to retain moisture, and set up a support beside the seedling to prevent wind from shaking the seedling loose and causing death. After planting, water once every 3 days on sunny days, pay attention to drainage to prevent waterlogging on rainy days, and check survival after 30 days and replant promptly.
When does lychee generally mature
1. Sanyuehong generally matures in late March of the lunar calendar. Because it is marketed early, it is named Sanyuehong. It is the earliest-maturing variety, mainly produced in Xinhui, Zhongshan, Zengcheng and other places in Guangdong. The fruit is heart-shaped, wide at the top and pointed at the bottom, with cracks of unequal size arranged irregularly, a suture line that is not very obvious, thick peel, light red color, yellow-white flesh, slightly tough, coarse texture, large pit, sour-sweet taste, and residual residue after eating.
2. Yuanzhi generally matures in late May or early June. Also known as Shuidong or Shuidong Heiye, it is distributed in the suburbs of Guangzhou and the counties of the Pearl River Delta. It is named "Shuidong Heiye" because it is suitable for planting in areas with plenty of water and its leaves are pointed and long, similar to black leaves but thinner. The fruit is short oval, with one shoulder high and one low, the cracks are slightly flat and broad, not prickly to the hand, regularly arranged, and should be dark red. The flesh is soft, smooth and juicy, sweet with a touch of sourness, and slightly fragrant.
3. Heiye usually matures in mid-June. Also known as Yezhi and Wuye. It is named because its leaf color is deep green and nearly black. It is cultivated in Guangdong, Fujian and Guangxi. The fruit is short oval, with a round or blunt top, a flat fruit base, dark red peel, relatively thin shell, flat and blunt cracks of uniform size arranged regularly, obvious cracks and suture line, firm and crisp flesh, sweet and fragrant with plenty of juice, and mostly large pits. It stores relatively well.
4. Guailv usually matures from late month to early July. It is a superior variety among the lychees of Zengcheng, Guangdong, and also one of the famous Guangdong lychee varieties. In feudal times it was listed as a tribute item. "Lingnan Lychee Manual" records: its fruit "has one side beside the stem protruding slightly higher, called the dragon head, and one side protruding lower, called the phoenix tail. When ripe, red and green are intermingled, with a green line running all the way through, hence the name change." The fruit is as large as a chicken seal, the pit is as small as a pea, the peel is dark red with green, the cracks are flat, the suture line is obvious, and the flesh is thick and crisp, richly sweet and juicy, with a fresh fragrance when entering the mouth.
5. Huaizhi usually matures in early July. Huaizhi is also known as Miye, Fenghua, Gufeng, Huaizhi and Huaizhi. The fruit is spherical or nearly round, with a flat stem end, thick and tough shell, dark red color, large cracks that are slightly raised or nearly flat, arranged irregularly, with occasional small sharp spines near the stem end, dense but few, milky white flesh, soft, clear and juicy, sweet with sourness, and a large and long pit, occasionally with a small pit. Suitable for drying.
Effects and functions of lychee
1. Replenish energy and benefit the brain. Lychee flesh contains abundant glucose and sucrose, with a total sugar content above 70%, ranking first among many fruits, and it has the effect of replenishing energy and increasing nutrition. Research has proven that lychee has a nourishing effect on brain tissue and can noticeably improve insomnia, forgetfulness, mental fatigue and other conditions.
2. Enhance immune function. Lychee flesh is rich in vitamin C and protein, which helps enhance the body's immune function and improve disease resistance. Since ancient times, it has been regarded as a precious tonic
3. Lower blood sugar. Lychee contains an amino acid that has a blood sugar-lowering effect and is very suitable for people with diabetes.
4. Reduce swelling and detoxify, stop bleeding and relieve pain. In addition to its widely known nourishing effect, lychee can also be used for surgical diseases such as tumors, scrofula, boils and malignant swellings, and traumatic bleeding.
5. Stop hiccups and stop diarrhea. Lychee is sweet and warm and strengthens the spleen, and can also descend rebellious qi, making it a good dietary therapy item for intractable hiccups and predawn diarrhea.
It can thus be seen that there are many kinds of lychee, and different kinds have slightly different tastes, and different lychees also have different ripening times. In ancient times, the lychee that Yang Guifei ate was called Feizixiao, and Feizixiao is loved by people for its small pit, flesh color like white wax, and crisp, refreshing and clearly sweet taste.