Longan, Rambuton, Lychee: Mainly consumed as fresh fruit, these very similar members of the Sapindaceae bear a single large seed, imbedded in an edible flesh that has a firm, grape-like texture. I don’t believe they present much value to cooks, but the flesh might show up in some very tropical-tasting applications (soups, fruit salads, etc.)
The morphologist tells us the fleshy portion is not fruit tissue, rather it is an aril (produced as part of the seed coat), making this fruit type a Camara. So this is a one-seeded fruit, in which the fruit wall is a thin, leathery structure (with or without ornamentation) and the inner pulp is produced by the seed.
The morphologist tells us the fleshy portion is not fruit tissue, rather it is an aril (produced as part of the seed coat), making this fruit type a Camara. So this is a one-seeded fruit, in which the fruit wall is a thin, leathery structure (with or without ornamentation) and the inner pulp is produced by the seed.
Systematists would expect these tropical fruit to be shelved together, in the vicinity of Oranges (Rutaceae) and Mangos (Anacardiaceae).
