CY@CY Says Welcome to my dreamscape. Where a Lim is also a Ling.
I have heard about longans the size of ping pong balls but it was only yesterday that I finally came across them in a shop near Tasty Point in Miri. The longans were touted to be Brazilian longans and were selling for RM12 a kilogram. I could not resist buying a kilo to try them out. Because of their big size, I got 15 pieces for the kilo that I bought.
The kilo of Brazilian longans that I bought
When I got home, I showed them to my wife and we each tried one of the longans. The green fruit has a thick skin and succulent flesh. They are actually bigger than ping pong balls. Once you peel away the skin, it looks more like a lychee than a longan. And the texture is also like lychee.
Two Brazilian longans with a tablespoon to give you an idea of the size of the longans
A Brazilian longan with its skin peeled off
Doesn't look appetizng, right?
I have only one comment about the Brazilian longans that I bought. I was utterly disappointed. The longan was sweet but it was almost tasteless. It is like eating a sweet lychee minus the taste (though I must clarify that I have never been a fan of lychee).
I really doubt the longans are Brazilian longans. Indeed, I doubt longans can be found in South America. I strongly believe that the Brazilian longans must have been a hybrid of lychee and longans. And naming it Brazilian longans is nothing more than a marketing gimmick to make it sound exotic so that the farmers planting them can fetch a good price for the fruits.
They aren't exactly longans I believe but are related along with lychee/litchi, longan, akee,langsat, etc. Here in the USA they are more commonly called Spainish lime/Quenepa/Mamonocillo (Melicoccus Bijugatus). They also don't get as big as the picture of yours are. They do come from South America, hence people calling them Braizilan Longan. The only time I've heard it being called Brazilian Longan are from blogs that I 've seen about Malaysia and Indonesia.
I've a question for you can you tell me about the Ping Pong Longan. They are regular longan but the size of ping pong ball, hence being called that. I've only read in a Malaysian blog, but can't find any info here in the USA about it.
Thanks,
Seng
Sorry, my mistake not the same as spanish lime but the correct name is Fijian longan. That comes in the green color like yours and a dark purple/black color.