My mom gave me a bag of dried longan last year and then i put it into a cabinet randomly until today. I find it when i was doing the cleaning to my kitchen’s cabinet tray. I took out and peeled them one by one to take out the longan pulps. (the dark brown berries in the white bowl)
Longan is a nutritious fruit and it is very good to our health. This fruit contains vitamins B1, B2 and B3 as well as Vitamin C. It has a high content of minerals such as copper, iron, potassium and magnesium. It is a good source of dietary fiber and protein as well. 100 grams of longan fruit will give you about 1.3 grams of protein, 83 grams of water, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 1.1 gram of dietary fiber, and approximately 60 calories. The nutrients found in 100 grams of raw Longan are as follows:-
- Vitamin A 28IU
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.031 mg
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 0.3 mg
- Vitamin C 84 mg
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.14 mg
- Potassium 266 mg
- Magnesium 10 mg
- Zinc 0.05 mg
- Calcium 1 mg
- Iron 0.13 mg
- Phosphorous 21 mg
- Manganese 0.05 mg
- Carbohydrates 16-25g
- Protein 1 g
- Niacin 0.6mg
But what is longan?
Longan(龙眼）is believed to have originated in either the area between India and Burma or in China. It is now grown in various parts of the world such as Sri Lanka, South India, several Southeastern Asian countries as well as South China. The fruit is either round or oval with a translucent pulp and contains one single, black seed. The longan tree is an evergreen tree which grows to a height of about 9-12 meters. It is also called 桂圓(guiyuan) in Chinese. The longan (“dragon eyes”) is so named because of the fruit’s resemblance to an eyeball when it is shelled (the black seed shows through the translucent flesh like a pupil/iris). In Chinese medicine the longan, much like the lychee, is considered a “warm” fruit. The longan we can buy in Hong Kong are mostly from Thailand and China.
(pic from website)
There are so many benefits in consuming longan:
- Longan has long been used as a remedy for stomach problems such as infections and pain. Eating longan fruit is regarded a natural remedy for treating a stomach ache. The fruit helps to improve and boost the immune system and this helps the body fight against various diseases.
- Longan is rich in potassium and is therefore helpful in maintaining one’s blood pressure and keeping it normal.
- Consuming dried longan fruit is believed to help cure people of sleeping disorders like insomnia.
- Longan fruit also helps to improve the functioning of the nerves as well as calm the nervous system.
- Longan also helps to reduce aging and helps to improve one’s skin, particularly, around the eyes. It is believed to improve one’s complexion and prevent skin from peeling as well.
- This fruit is also believed to nourish the blood as well as invigorate the spleen.
- The fruit also helps to reduce fatigue and lowers irritability in people as well.
Well, my best way to “cook” these dried longan pulps is just soooooo simple. You just need to remove the black seed from the dried longan fruit first; and then put the dried longan pulps (usually 4-6 pieces) to a cup, you can add some Goji berries for a better result; pour the hot water(200ml) into the cup and close the lid for about 10 mins. Voila! It’s healthy and tasty. Enjoy your longan tea!
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