Longan (dragon's eye): health properties and contraindications

The exotic fruit longan has a pleasant aroma and exquisite taste. It is also called the sweet "eye of the dragon", longan plum and lam yai. The flesh is juicy, with a distinct flavor of musk. The skin is dense, but easily removed. You can buy longan tree fruits in large grocery stores, the main thing is not to confuse them with lychee because of the external similarity.

What is Longan?

The plant is a tropical, respectively, heat-loving, quite tall (on average 7-8 m). It can be grown in greenhouses and apartments (in pots). Regarding the unusual name, there is a province of Long An in Vietnam, where these fruits continue to be grown even now. In general, the fruit ripens from June to August, and is harvested during the summer. However, the climate differs in different parts of the province, so year-round harvesting is possible.

What it looks like and where it grows

The fruits are small, about 2-4 cm in diameter, ripe in clusters. Under the brown colored shell hides juicy flesh, which has the consistency of jelly. The fruit is white, translucent, with a dark pit inside, which is why it is called the eye of the dragon. It differs from the litchi in that it has a less rough surface. The pit and rind are inedible.

There are several versions of the exotic fruit's origin. According to one version, in 200 BC in China (Shaanxing Province), the ruler decided to plant the best, in his opinion, fruit trees (lychee and longan), but because of the lack of heat they did not take root. On the other hand, the fruits of Longangan ripen in other provinces, Fujian and Guangdong, from where they are still exported today. China is the main exporter of the fruit. The fruit is no less popular in Thailand. There is a mention in official sources from 1896 of a traveler's visit to the government of Thailand. He brought seedlings from China, which were planted not only in the capital, but also in one of the provinces of the kingdom, Chiang Mai. Since then, the fruit of the longan has been harvested in Thailand as well.

The fruit trees have also taken root outside Asia - in Puerto Rico, Mauritius, Bermuda, and Australia. They are grown in Taiwan, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, India and Vietnam. Sri Lanka, the United States, the Philippines and Malaysia can also be added to this list. However, longans are not as common there as in China and Thailand.

In Southeast Asia, the sale of exotic fruits brings good profits. A third of the fresh longans are shipped to Europe and America and Asian countries. Most of the harvest is processed, so the "eye of the dragon" can be bought not only fresh but also dried or canned. The main suppliers of the fruit are China, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and India.

What does it taste like?

In terms of taste, the fruit is unique. It is sweet, combining several flavors at once - fresh kiwi, sweet melon, ripe berries. A distinctive feature is the musky flavor. Although longan is not as juicy as lychee, but it is sweeter. Also noted a certain similarity with the Spanish lime and rambutan.

Types and varieties

There are about 50 varieties of the exotic fruit. But there are several varieties that are the most valuable - Bieo khieo (there is a noticeable green hue on the skin), Do (fruits have a flattened shape), Si chomphu (flesh with a pink hue, juicy).

Composition and calories

The product is low in calories, so it is included in the diet if necessary to comply with the diet. In 100 grams of fruit only 60 kcal. Of the minerals in the composition, there are potassium, manganese, iron and zinc. In addition, longan contains calcium, magnesium, copper and phosphorus.

The vitamin composition is represented by vitamins C and B (B1, 2, 3). Longan plum has high levels of ascorbic acid (84 mg), potassium (266 mg) and water (82 g). The content of carbohydrates, proteins, fats in 100 g of fruit - 15, 1.3, 0.1 g, respectively, fiber - 1.1 g.

The useful properties of the fruit longan

General benefits

The product contains a lot of potassium, so when you use it, the heart rhythm is normalized, more oxygen goes to the brain. As a result, there is a positive effect on mental performance and other important processes occurring in the body.

Given its high ascorbic acid content, dragon's eye is an excellent remedy for strengthening the immune system, eliminating avitaminosis and colds. Positive changes also occur due to the intake of B vitamins. Thiamine has a beneficial effect on the nervous, digestive and cardiovascular systems. Riboflavin acts as a regulator of the nervous system, promotes energy production from carbohydrates. Niacin helps maintain healthy skin, helps dilate blood vessels, and alleviates negative effects on the nervous system.

When the fruit is consumed, such effects develop:

1. A slight increase in blood pressure.
2. Strengthening of the nails and hair, improving the condition of the skin.
3. Partial removal from the body of cholesterol and harmful substances.
4. Diuretic effect, purification of the kidneys, a positive effect on the urinary tract.
5. Normalization of water levels in the body.
6. Antimicrobial and antiseptic action.
7. Protect the liver from negative influences.
8. Strengthening the nervous system, the elimination of irritability, anxiety and insomnia, a better sleep as a result of the development of sedative action.
9. Prevention of cancer, cardiovascular and colds, the flu.
10. Improvement of health in chemotherapy.
11. Increase iron levels in the body in anemia.
12. Strengthening the immune system, reducing high body temperatures (dried fruits are especially useful for heat and fever).
13. Neutralization of the negative effects of free radicals due to the content of phenols (antioxidant activity is due to the content of bile and ellagic acids).
14. Faster healing of skin injuries, improvement in skin diseases.
15. Elimination of apathy, signs of fatigue and the effects of stress, restore vitality, liveliness.
16. Helminthic effect.
17. Elimination of the symptoms of avitaminosis and scurvy.
18. Normalization of the digestive system.

Useful not only the fruit, but also the leaves of the plant, containing quartzetin:

• Strengthening of blood vessels, maintaining normal functioning of the heart muscle;
• Help the body in the fight against cancer;
• treatment of diabetes of any type and allergies.

Like the fruit, the leaves of the longan are a powerful natural antioxidant. Also when they are used, an antiviral and bactericidal effect is noted. The leaves are used to prepare medicinal decoctions and infusions.

The seeds contain a large amount of saponins. By grinding them and combining with water to form a soapy foam. Such a product is used as a base for shampoo.

The fruit is used as an aphrodisiac and tonic. Its pulp is added to products designed to treat digestive tract disorders. According to the results of one of the studies, the regular use of the fruit can significantly improve the condition of patients who have been identified with liver damage and other organs.

In Vietnam, longan is also used externally. For example, using the fruit to eliminate the negative effects of insect and snake bites. The stone is applied to the wounded areas. It is believed to be able to draw out poisonous substances and disinfect the bite site. It is important to apply longan in a timely manner.

Longan is used to maintain mental capacity and good memory. The substances contained in the exotic fruit protect against sudden cardiac arrest and cardiac attacks. Regular consumption of the product allows you to get rid of circulatory problems.

Riboflavin, contained in longan, is required to maintain healthy eyes. The daily rate for women is 1 mg, for men 1.3 mg. A study in the Archiv oftalmologie (2005) confirmed that adequate levels of the vitamin reduce the risk of cataracts and other ophthalmic diseases.

Dried fruits are used for iron and copper deficiency. The daily intake of copper in food for an adult is 900 mcg. If 3.5 dried fruits are eaten per day, the body will receive 19% of the required amount of copper. It is noted the positive effect of longan not only on the bones, but also on the joints and muscle tissue.

For women

Maintaining normal levels of minerals improves well-being during postmenopause and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Since just a few longanus fruits contain 19% of the daily requirement of copper, the product is recommended for regular consumption. Moreover, the fruit has a positive effect on the skin, reducing sagging, eliminating age spots and dryness and smoothing crow's feet.

Due to the high content of antioxidants, longan has a rejuvenating, toning, regenerating effect on the body. With its regular use, it restores strength, activates metabolism.

For men

Longan belongs to the aphrodisiacs. It contains a large amount of zinc, an important trace element for the male body. Its normal level must be maintained for full testosterone production.

When pregnant

During the pregnancy it is necessary to limit the use of "dragon's eye" because of its frequent intake in large quantities can significantly reduce the blood sugar level, which will lead to the development of such a dangerous condition as hypoglycemia. It is not necessary to completely abandon the longan, because it has a lot of iron. To maintain normal levels of this trace element, choose dried fruit.

When breastfeeding

"Dragon's eye" helps women to recover faster after pregnancy and childbirth, so if possible, you should regularly eat a few fruits. You should not overindulge in eating the fruit for the same reason as during pregnancy (risk of hypoglycemia). In addition, the child may have an allergic reaction.

For children

Small children should not be given the fruit. Acquaintance with longan is recommended to postpone until 3 years of age.

For weight loss

The product is low-calorie, so it is allowed to eat it when losing weight. It is not necessary to include the fruit in the diet in its pure form, it can be used as an additional component for smoothies, smoothies, fruit purees and juices. It is also a good additive for cottage cheese desserts and yogurts.

You can consume no more than 100-150 grams of longanus daily. You must drink enough clean water, because the fruit has a diuretic effect on the body. When losing weight include only fresh longan in the diet, from the caloric dried fruit to refuse or reduce their use to a minimum. It is the fresh product activates the metabolism and speeds up the process of losing weight.

Cosmetic and healing applications

The leaves and flowers are used for medicinal purposes. The positive effect is achieved due to the content of quercetin. This substance belongs to the flavonoids, has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect, improves the overall condition of the body. The raw material is used to prepare teas, infusions, decoctions.

In the manufacture of care and remedies use the seed. From this part of the fruit is extracted, saturated with tannins and fats. This component in antiperspirants helps to fight excessive sweating.

The seeds of the fruit contain sapotine and are added to shampoos and balms as an ingredient that improves hair health. At home, the pulp is used in masks for peeling and skin irritations. Sapotine revitalizes the skin, moisturizes it and saturates it with useful substances. As a result of prolonged use of masks can achieve a lifting effect.

Culinary applications

Fruits are not only consumed fresh, but are also used for freezing, canning, making liqueurs and dried fruit. They are added to drinks, sauces, salads and desserts. For example, it can be a mousse, ice cream or cocktail. They are also used as a filling in baked goods.

Asian countries make a soup with longan on the basis of coconut milk. You can boil rice porridge with the fruit of the "dragon's eye" or make a tonic drink. To get a refreshing remedy, the pulp is combined with sugar and boiled until it dissolves, water is poured into the fruit puree with syrup.

In China and Thailand, the pulp is boiled and then dried. The finished dessert tastes like raisins. And most importantly, the useful substances are not destroyed by this method of processing. In regions where the exotic fruit is grown, it is customary to combine sweet fruits with fish and spicy foods. Europeans prefer simpler combinations - cocktails and alcohol with the exotic fruit, salad or ice cream.

To get a healthy dried fruit as an additional ingredient for meat and fish dishes or rice, longan is boiled in syrup, then dried in a convenient way. You can use a dryer or oven. Another option is to place the product in the sunlight, drying it naturally.

Royal bun

This recipe takes 2 hours to implement, the ingredients are given for 6 servings of fragrant baked goods. Dates and longan plums are used for the filling.

Ingredients for the dough:

• 350 g flour;
• 85g of sugar;
• 50 g butter;
• 10 g yeast (dry product);
• 120 ml of milk;
• 2 eggs;
• pinch of salt.
• Stuffing:
• 200 g longan;
• 90 g of jam;
• 80 g dates;
• 1 tsp. cinnamon powder.

Preparation:

1. The milk is heated (it should be slightly warm, not hot) and combined with sugar (not all, only 35 g), salt, butter, eggs.
2. Pour the yeast into the homogeneous mixture, mix again the contents of the container.
3. In portions add flour. The dough should be soft (well kneaded dough does not stick to your hands). Cover and leave to rise in a warm place. It will take about 1 hour.
4. Stemless dates are combined with exotic fruit, crushed with a blender and sent to the jam (any jam will do, choose according to your taste), mix thoroughly.
5. The resulting dough is cut into 8 equal parts and formed into balls. Three balls are put aside and covered with a clean towel, so that the dough does not become weathered. The remaining balls are rolled out into a circle.
6. To go to the next step, first prepare a baking pan. Cut a piece of parchment of the required size and place it on the baking tray, grease it with oil.
7. Spread the filling evenly over the four circles, and place them on the baking tray on top of each other. A fifth circle without filling is placed on top of the future loaf.
8. From the center to the edge, about 16 cuts are made (do not cut completely, there should be 1 cm to the edge). As a result, there should be 8 triangles. These petals unscrew to the edge of the product.
9. Go back to the previously postponed three balls. Each of them is cut in half. To work with dough at this stage take 5 parts, one put aside. Shape balls, then - circles.
10. Four pieces are sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar, stacked on top of each other and covered with the fifth piece.
11. Using a knife make 8 triangles. In the center of each piece make a longitudinal cut, in it on the top side of the product slip the tip of the workpiece downwards and pull out. Do the same with the remaining triangles.
12. The remaining ball is combined with the scraps and prepare circles for the rosettes.
13. From the circles form roses, for this purpose, they are folded overlapping a few pieces and rolled. Each tube is cut in half and put in a circle in the center of the future roll.
14. If there is any dough left over, you can put a small ball in the center between the rosettes and decorate the side petals with leaves from the leftovers.
15. Bake the bun in a preheated oven. Temperature - 180 ° C, cooking time - 30-35 minutes. The finished pastry can be sprinkled with powdered sugar and garnished with fresh longans.

Rice with exotic fruit

The dish can be consumed either hot or warm or cold. To make it appetizing, the rice is placed in a deep bowl covered with clingfilm. It is pressed down and transferred to a plate. For convenience, you can place the plate against the bowl, turn it over and then remove the foil.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. sticky rice;
• 6 tbsp. + 1 and ¼ tbsp. water to boil the product;
• ¼ tbsp. sake;
• 20 longans (both dried and smoked will do);
• 1 tbsp. sugar.

Preparation:

1. Combine rice and water (6 tbsp.), leave to swell for 8 hours.
2. Prepare the pulp, for this exotic fruit to remove the skin and seeds.
3. Cook rice in a rice cooker or boil in a pot. Then, they add the rest of the water and sake.
4. Put the pot on low heat for about 25 minutes. The contents are stirred regularly. Before the end of cooking, sugar is poured in and evenly distributed.

Alcoholic cocktail

Ingredients:

• Vodka and orange juice in the proportion 2:1 - 60 and 30 ml, respectively;
• 40 ml of "Blue Curacao" liqueur;
• 8 longan fruit;
• ice for cooling the drink.

Preparation:

1. Alcohol is combined with juice, longan and ice.
2. Stir together the ingredients with an electric mixer and divide into 2 glasses. If you like, use slices of applesin for decoration.

Liqueur

This drink is served chilled. If desired, use a lime to decorate it. The liqueur is cooled with ice. The liqueur can be consumed pure or added to cocktails.

Ingredients:

• 0.5 kg of fruit of an exotic fruit;
• 1 l of vodka;
• vanillin stick;
• 1 lime fruit.

Preparation:

1. Using a knife, the longan is peeled from the skin and pips. Cut the pulp in medium or small pieces, transfer it to a glass jar.
2. Squeeze the juice from the lime, pour it into the jar. Cut a stick of vanilla and put it in the same place.
3. Lastly, the alcohol is poured in, stirred, and, having corked the jar securely, put it in the fridge for 3 hours, after which it is filtered. For this purpose, you can use gauze or a fine sieve.

Harm and contraindications

In general, the product is safe, but in some cases you should refuse to use it:

1. Individual intolerance of the components, accompanied by manifestations of an allergic reaction.
2. Age less than 3 years (the first time given no more than 6-8 fruits).
3. Excess of vitamin C.
4. Disorders in the digestive tract (laxative effect develops).

The harm of the fruit manifested in cases where the food is consumed unripe fruit (can develop asthma).

An overdose of vitamin C is dangerous to the body. Signs of this condition include diarrhea and vomiting. White blood cells may even be damaged.

How to Choose and Store Longanus

In Asian countries, the fruit is sold year-round. In appearance it is difficult to assess whether it is ripe or not. For this reason, it is recommended to buy a few fruits to try first. If it tastes sour, the longan can be left in a warm place for a few days. After ripening, it is required to move it to the refrigerator for storage.

There are no spots on the rind of quality fruit, and the color is uniform. You should also inspect the fruit for rot and damage to the integrity of the skin. There should not be any defects. Deformed fruit with damage loses its taste and usefulness.

After harvesting, the fruit is dipped in ice water. This prevents the fruit from becoming overripe. Do the same with the longan when you do not plan to use it right away.

Harvest the "dragon's eye" clusters unripe for consumption at least 1-2 days after harvesting. The ripe fruit is stored for 7 days (if stored in a cold place), then begins to spoil. Keep in mind that if you buy the fruit in the fall, the shelf life is shortened.

How to peel and eat Longanus correctly

Only the pulp is used in food, no more than 150-200 grams per day. Vitamin C in this amount of "dragon-eye" as much as 84 mg, while the daily rate of 75-90 mg.

To peel the fruit, it is strongly squeezed. The skin cracks and can be easily removed. You can go the other way and make a small incision. It is easy to remove the pit, as it easily comes away from the pulp. The fruit can be pre-sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon or just sugar and eaten.

Interesting Facts

1. Longanus contains a huge amount of vitamin C, it can be used as a complete source of this substance.
2. The fruit really looks like a dragon's eye due to the unusual appearance of the flesh and the presence of a dark bone.

The taste of the fruit is like nothing else, so you should definitely try longan at least once in your life!

Photo of the longan fruit