How to Eat a Lychee

JVI Contributor

May 2, 2025

Lychees sure are cute – but how to crack this mysterious “nut” (spoiler alert: it’s not actually a nut!)? Here are 5 easy steps to get at the good stuff!

1. Choose Ripe – Find a firm, pink fruit (some brown is OK, and does not affect taste) with blemish-free skin. It should have a little give when you squeeze it gently. It’s edible when underripe, but won’t have that sweet, refreshing flavor we’re after! When overripe, the taste can become a bit funky or off-tasting.
2. Peel & Pop – Grip the nub of the stem and use your fingers to crack and peel away the knobbly, inedible skin. If the lychee is perfectly ripe, a gentle squeeze should slide the skin off quite easily. Inside, you’ll find white, semi-translucent flesh with a texture similar to a peeled grape. They tend to be juicy, so be prepared for drips.
3. Remove Seed – A large, brown, smooth seed hides in the center of the fruit. Gently remove the seed and discard (it’s inedible).
4. Enjoy! – Pop the flesh like a juicy cherry (warning: they’re addictive), or incorporate into a recipe (view some recipe inspo below!).
5. Store them Right – Keep whole lychee in the refrigerator wrapped in a dry paper towel, inside a perforated plastic bag or container with the lid left open. They can last up to a week this way. Store any cut lychee in a sealed container in the fridge for up to three days.

Now that you know how to open a lychee, it’s time to get the taste buds dancing! Here are 5 easy recipes to incorporate into summer menus:

1 – Lychee Ceviche

Blogger Lyndsey Landish kicks it off with a delicious lychee dish inspired from her time in Barcelona. This dish combines the flavor of lychee with a slew of other flavors, including fresh lemon juice, fresno peppers, and fresh cilantro.