Lychees In The Store: When They Appear, Including In Auchan, How To Choose Them Correctly

2025 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2025-06-01 07:32

Litchi was brought to stores: how to choose the most delicious berry

A modern person can taste exotic fruits without leaving their homes. While Russians have long been accustomed to bananas and oranges, lychees are still a curiosity. When it is worth waiting for the receipt of lychee in retail chains and how to choose the right berries, we will discuss in the article.

When does lychee season begin

China is considered the birthplace of lychee, but they grow in Thailand, Vietnam and the island of Madagascar. Because of the lumpy scales, lychees are called Dragon's Eye, as well as Chinese plums and grapes. The ripening season for the berries is from late April to September. Lychees appear in our stores by mid-December and are sold until early February. At the time of this writing - mid-January - lychee sales season is in full swing.

Lychees are called Chinese grapes because of the similarity of the bunches.

Fruit is delivered to Auchan and Pyaterochka in large consignments by sea, the journey from Madagascar to Russia takes about 45 days. The delivery method reduces the price for consumers, but affects the quality of the berries. During the wandering, fruits have time to overripe and deteriorate. To avoid financial losses, the berries are picked still green, and they ripen on the way.

Plucked unripe lychees are better suited for transportation

Exotic fruit shops also offer to buy lychees, but berries there are 2-3 times more expensive than those of large retailers - Ashana and Pyaterochka. But the goods in them come from Thailand and by air, so you can find them in fruit shops even in summer.

How to choose the right lychee

In order for the fruit to be tasty and healthy, when choosing, you should pay attention to the following:

• smell. Ripe lychees have a scent of roses;
• condition and color of the peel. The berries should be covered with bright red scales without damage or spots. The peel of a light color with a yellowish tinge indicates the unripeness of the fruit, and dark burgundy - of overripeness;
• stalk. In good quality lychees, this part of the plant is spotless;
• density of berries. When shaking ripe lychees, a light tapping is heard. Otherwise, it can be assumed that the fruit is rotten.

The lychee pulp is like clear jelly, and the rose aroma comes from the peel of an exotic berry

Doctors advise not to get carried away with lychee, the norm of an exotic fruit for an adult is 5-7 pieces per day. It is not recommended to give lychees to children under three years old, and then - a maximum of 3 pieces per day. Due to the irritating properties of the mucous membranes, lychee can only be consumed on a full stomach. If you leave the berries on bunches, then they can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. And if you want to feast on lychee in the off-season, you can freeze the peeled fruit, the nutrients and taste will remain unchanged.

Litchi berries stay fresh and edible longer on cuttings

Three years ago, we also bought lychees several times in the nearest Auchan. Everyone except his son liked the berries, so they looked forward to the next winter. 2017 started unsuccessfully, I was poisoned by an exotic fruit. Perhaps overeating or getting a bad berry, but it was terribly bad. Since then, I have bypassed the lychee. Even those brought from Thailand by my sister did not eat.

Lychee sales start at the same time as tangerines. Correctly chosen exotic fruits will not harm a person, only you should not overeat them.