Lychee

The lychee 

The lychee is a truly exotic fruit that has become increasingly popular in Northwestern Europe. Its delightful sweetness is one of the main reasons for its growing popularity, and it is also very easy to eat.

The fruit has a rough, pinkish-red skin that can be peeled effortlessly. Inside, you’ll find juicy, almost translucent flesh with a single seed in the center, which is not edible.

- Availability

Lychees are available from July until January, depending on the region.

- Storage Guidelines

Transport & Storage: Lychees require a very low temperature after harvest. The recommended temperature for transport and storage is 2˚C.

In Store: Lychees stay fresh longer when displayed on the refrigerated shelf.

- Planting and Harvest

At the orchard

Lychees are mainly grown in Africa, where the fruits hang from tall trees that can reach up to 20 metres. These trees remain productive for many years. After the first 2–3 years, when they begin to bear fruit, they can continue producing for another 20–30 years.

Growers carefully determine the right harvest moment: the fruit’s skin deepens in colour and feels less prickly. Each lychee weighs between 16 and 35 grams. Harvesting is done using cherry pickers, and the ripe fruits are cut by hand from the clusters.

After picking, the lychees undergo strict quality checks and are sorted by size. Finally, they are packed either in 2–5 kg boxes or in bulk.