Lovin’ Lychees in Dubai

With their spiky, multi-colored skin, lychees look like an alien product.

But their flavor is sweet, delicate and floral.

As soon as I saw the lychees near the Dubai Fish Souk, I knew I wanted them. I didn’t know what I would do with them yet, but I’d figure out something.

Lychees and other tropical fruit at the market in Dubai.

The market salesman told me these lychees were imported from Thailand. However, they are mainly cultivated in China, northern Vietnam, and northern India, particularly Bihar, which accounts for 75 percent of total production. Lychees also are commercially grown in Hawaii, Florida and South Africa.

This photo shows what a lychee tree looks like. 

After sitting in the fridge for a day, my husband and I decided to use the lychees to make mocktails for our friends in Dubai. Many of the restaurants in Dubai often feature a wide selection of fresh juice drinks or mocktails.

I peeled the lychees, cut up the fruit and then mixed together with some fresh pomegranate seeds. I eyed a bottle of raspberry syrup (the kind you can use in coffee drinks) and added a splash of that. We topped off the drink with a good amount of club soda to add some fizz.

Voilà - you have a fresh, slightly sweet non-alcoholic drink. It also looks very pretty.

If you can’t locate fresh lychees, you can probably find canned ones at a nearby Asian or gourmet grocery store. Just be sure to strain off the heavy syrup before using in the recipe below.

To get inside a fresh lychee, take a paring knife and score through the flesh. Peel off the skin. Cut around the seed in the middle to get the white flesh. This is the part you want to eat.

Afiyet Olsun!

Lychee-Pomegranate Mocktail

Ingredients:

2-3       ea.        lychees, cut into small pieces

1          T.         fresh pomegranate seeds

As needed       crushed ice

Splash of raspberry syrup

As needed       club soda

1. In a small cup or using a mortar and pestle, muddle or mash together the lychees and the pomegranate seeds. Place this mixture in a glass.

2. Add several tablespoons of crushed ice to the glass, and then a splash of raspberry syrup.

3. Top off the drink with club soda. Stir and enjoy.

4. Adjust the sweetness of the drink by adding more raspberry syrup.