How to tell the four major longan varieties apart? Learn to identify them so you don't buy the wrong ones

Longan is a precious and famous fruit native to southern China. The fruit is rich in nutrients, can improve human health and boost disease resistance, and has the effect of tonifying the heart and spleen, nourishing the blood and calming the mind. It also has anti-aging effects, and is regarded as a precious nutritional tonic especially for the elderly and women.

The different longan varieties sold on the market today each have their own flavor and texture. Below I will introduce the four most common longan varieties. When you go to the market to buy longan, pay attention, and be sure not to buy the wrong ones!

I. Shixia

Characteristics: Strongly sweet with a honeyed taste, medium-sized fruit, relatively thick skin, rather rough surface, small seed

Aliases: Cuirou, Shiye, Shiyuan

Shape: Spherical or slightly lopsided oblate spherical, yellowish-brown skin, milky white or pale yellowish-white flesh, opaque, relatively thick flesh,

Easy to separate from the seed.

Size: Single fruit weighs 7.5-10.6 grams, the largest about 14 grams. Roughly 50 longans per jin.

Taste: Crisp and crunchy flesh, strongly sweet with a honeyed taste, top quality, relatively little juice. Edible rate 65%-70%.

Nutritional value: Every 100 grams of flesh contains 65.85-74.47 mg of vitamin C and 21%-23% total sugar.

II. Chuliang

Characteristics: Thick flesh, clean sweet taste, smooth skin surface

Shape: Large fruit, oblate spherical. Yellowish-brown skin tinged with green, smooth surface. White waxy flesh, opaque, easily separated from the seed.

Size: Single fruit weighs 12-14 grams, fruit size relatively uniform.

Taste: Crisp and crunchy flesh, little juice, no juice running on the surface, clean sweet, melts in the mouth. Edible rate 74%.

Nutritional value: Contains multiple Every 100 grams of flesh contains 52.1 mg of vitamin, and 18.6% total sugar,

III. Dawuyuan

Characteristics: Large fruit, mild sweetness, thick flesh, crisp and crunchy flesh

Aliases: Dalongyan, Shayan, Lychee Longan.

Shape: Oblate spherical fruit, rounded fruit top, slightly raised fruit shoulder, yellowish-brown skin, waxy white flesh, semi-transparent, easy to separate from the seed, thick flesh.

Size: Large fruit, average single fruit weight 15-20 grams, the largest can reach 31 grams. It is the largest improved longan variety in China, with an edible rate of 74.1%.

Taste: Relatively crisp and crunchy flesh, slightly mild sweetness, medium quality.

Nutritional value: Every 100 grams of flesh contains 61.7 mg of vitamin C and 13.5% total sugar.

IV. Gushan No. 2

Characteristics: Medium-sized fruit, waxy yellow semi-transparent flesh, sweet taste, no juice running on the surface

Quality similar to Shixia, ripens earlier than Shixia, fruit slightly larger than Shixia

Size: Single fruit weighs 10-12 grams, fruit rather round and slightly lopsided, yellowish-brown skin. Waxy yellow flesh, semi-transparent. Edible rate 66.7%.

Taste: Thick and crisp flesh, separates from the seed, melts in the mouth, clean sweet taste, no juice running.

Nutritional value: Every 100 grams of flesh contains 85.7 mg of vitamin C and 17.4 grams of total sugar.

These are the four most common longans on the market. Have you learned to tell them apart?