Lychee
Appearance
| Lychee | |
|---|---|
| Lychee branch with ripe fruit | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Division: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: | Litchi |
| Species: | L. chinensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Litchi chinensis Sonn. | |
A lychee (pronounced LEE-ji) is a tropical fruit in the genus Litchi. It comes from southern China. Since it is tropical, it will only grow in a warm, wet climate.
The inside of a lychee is a clear, pinkish-white colour. The outside of the fruit is a hard spiky shell. Its seed is brown in colour and very hard. The seeds are poisonous and should not be eaten. The lychee has a sweet taste, and may be frozen, made into sauces, jam, puree, or preserves. When frozen, the lychee tastes similar to sorbet.