I bought a 2-lb bag of these Chinese lychee off a fruit vendor on the street. When I’d asked him what they were, he responded that they were lychee nuts. I told him that they look nothing like the lychee that I’ve eaten before, but he said “Chinese lychee!” New York charm at its finest.
After eating a bunch of these, I finally decided to Google them, and they’re tough to find, even online. It’s clear why they’re less popular – they’re not nearly as sweet and juicy as their red counterparts. But the kids enjoyed peeling them and ate a few, so all in all, a reasonable success. But if I’m buying lychee again, it won’t be these ones.
ME: What are these called?
LAUREN: Lychee nuts!
ME: What do they look like?
LAUREN: They kind of look like a tiny basketball.
ME: Sam, what do you think?
SAM: It looks like a stretchy thing.
LAUREN: A stretchy ball?
LAUREN: Oh, my God, is there a nut in it?
ME: Yes, but you’re not allergic.
LAUREN: Can I lick it?
(Licking)
LAUREN: Ew, I don’t like it.
EMMA: I like it!
ME: They’re kind of similar to the guineps.
LAUREN: Yeah, they are.
LAUREN: This tastes like an olive a little.
SAM: Actually when I lick it….
EMMA: (Crying)
ME: What happened? Did you bite it?
EMMA: (crying) Yeaaaaah.
ME: Did you hurt your tooth?
EMMA: (crying) Yeaaaaah.
ME: Sam, what were you saying?
SAM: It tastes like, um, goo.
ME: Here you go Emma, there’s no seed in it so you can eat the whole thing.
EMMA: I want more.
ME: You like it?
EMMA: Yes. I want moooooorrrrre.
SAM: Did you know that I ate the whole thing of this? And I didn’t eat the nut.
ME: Did you like it?
SAM: Um, the lychee tasted like this (pointing to the discarded lychee skin)
ME: OK, thank you Sam, that was helpful. At least you liked it buddy.
