Longans

From Tree to Table: Exploring the Journey of a Longan Fruit

Imagine, for a moment, that you’re sitting down to a delicious dinner. After savoring the mouth-watering aromas wafting from your plate, you catch sight of a single, gleaming piece of fruit on the side. Through your curiosity, you reach out and pluck it up—a longan! But have you ever thought about how that luscious fruit ended up in your hands? We travel with an inquisitive eye through the journey of a longan—from tree to table.

Longans are native to Southeast Asia, with northern Vietnam, Laos, and northeastern Thailand being the primary producers. The trees can be found in a wide range of climates within Asia, ranging from hot and humid in the southern parts to cooler and drier in the north. While it can be grown in other avenues, such as at home, longans are predominantly grown in plantations, where temperatures and humidity are strictly controlled.

Let’s step into the world of a longan tree. After pollination, it will take three or four months for the fruit to develop and ripen. During this time, the longan tree will require minimal maintenance. A broad-spectrum fungicide is usually applied around the root and in sparse sprays over the canopy, but no other pesticide treatments are necessary. Longan trees are self-fertile, which means they can pollinate themselves, but hand-pollination is commonly used to increase fruit production.

As the fruit begins to ripen, harvesting takes place. With most fruit trees, it can be a struggle to select and collect the ripe fruits, but with longan trees, it’s a much simpler and straightforward process. An individual merely needs to collect the fruits that have dropped from the canopy onto the ground. The fallen fruits are the ones that are ready for market.

Next, the harvested fruits are brought to the market. Longans can be eaten straight from the tree, but most of them are sent to market and warehouses in their rough, spiny shells, so that ripening (if necessary) and shipping can occur. Longans can, however, be stored for a maximum of five days in a controlled environment—between 55–64 °F and a relative humidity between 85–90%. After these five days, the skin will start to show signs of decay, so quick action is necessary.

Once the fruit has reached the markets, mature longans can be stored at room temperature, while unripened ones will require a controlled atmosphere. Longans should be kept away from sources of ethylene gas and stored in a cool, dark place. Stored properly, mature longans can be kept fresh for up to six weeks—allowing chance for transport and shipment to consumers around the globe.

The next step of the longan journey is distribution. Longans make a rather resilient traveler and are an excellent choice for long-distance shipping. To promote shelf-life, the fruit can be shipped in refrigerator containers, where temperatures will remain fairly constant. Because of the frequent fluctuations in temperature and humidity, longans that have been cooled down for shipping can be re-ripened and enjoyed once again. If shipped in dark containers, the longan won’t experience a colour change, making it ideal for global distribution.

Finally, the longan comes to its ultimate destination— your plate. To maximize flavour, store longans at room temperature in a cool, dark place that is above 50°F. To extract the succulent flesh within, simply cut through the leathery skin around the middle and the two halves will easily part. Once open, the white flesh can be eaten right away—much like a lychee. Enjoy sweet, juicy treats with a unique, musky aroma and luscious flavour.

From the thriving plantations of Southeast Asia to the far-reaching markets around the world, the journey of a longan fruit is one of sheer resilience. This remarkable story of a longan—from tree to table—will continue to be told, generation after generation.