Introduction: For foodies, the annual lychee season is a feast that is absolutely worth looking forward to. Even the great poet Su Shi couldn't resist eating 300 lychees in a single day. However, eating too many lychees can lead to "heatiness," leaving you wanting more. So, how can you satisfy your cravings without getting "heaty"? Let me teach you seven tips to "put out the fire."
Benefits and Effects of Lychees
Lychees are sweet, sour, and warm in nature, and they affect the heart, spleen, and liver meridians. The flesh has the effects of tonifying the spleen and nourishing the liver, regulating qi and enriching blood, warming the middle jiao to relieve pain, and calming the mind to soothe the spirit. The seed has the effects of regulating qi, dissipating stagnation, and relieving pain. It can stop hiccups and diarrhea, making it a great dietary remedy for stubborn hiccups and "five更泻" (diarrhea at dawn). It also has the benefits of nourishing the brain and strengthening the body, whetting the appetite, and promoting digestion.
Lychees have a nourishing effect on brain tissue and can significantly improve symptoms like insomnia, forgetfulness, and mental fatigue. They can enhance the immune function. Lychee flesh is rich in substances that are beneficial, making it very suitable for diabetics. Lychees can also reduce swelling, detoxify, stop bleeding, and relieve pain. Besides their well-known nourishing effects, lychees can also be used in surgery. Lychee fruit is nutritious and has certain medicinal and tonic effects.
In addition to being eaten fresh, lychees can also be processed into dried lychees, canned lychees in syrup, lychee juice, frozen lychees, lychee wine, etc. Lychee trees produce a large number of flowers with a long blooming period and secrete a large amount of nectar, making them an excellent source of nectar for bees.
1. Soak in Salt Water
Peel the lychees but do not remove the white film underneath. Rinse them clean and soak them in 30% salt water for an hour before taking them out. You can then eat them after peeling off the white film. Soaking in salt water significantly reduces the "heatiness" of the lychees. If you soak a large quantity of lychees and want to keep them longer, you can also remove the white film, soak the flesh in light salt water for an hour, then place them in a sealed container and freeze them.
2. Eat the Membrane
When peeling lychees, there is a thin, white membrane on the flesh that has a slightly astringent taste. We usually peel it off, but to prevent "heatiness," it is recommended to eat the membrane as well. After eating the lychee, also eat the white, stem-like part of the flesh from the indented area at the bottom of the lychee. This can also prevent "heatiness."
Lychee and Red Date Syrup
3. No More Than 10 at a Time
Ordinary people should not eat more than 10 lychees at a time. For children, 3-4 is enough. Do not overconsume. People with a yin deficiency and dry heat constitution, or a damp-heat constitution, should not eat lychees. Diabetics and those who are prone to bloating should also be cautious. People with symptoms like acne, a cold, or acute inflammation should not eat lychees, as it can worsen their condition.
While eating lychees, also eat some starchy foods like bread or biscuits. This can help maintain blood sugar levels and prevent "heatiness."
4. Enjoy "Dew-Kissed Red Lychees"
"Dew-kissed lychees" are freshly picked from the tree before dawn, while the dew has not yet evaporated. These lychees have absorbed sunlight throughout the day and then cooled down overnight, so their "heaty" nature has diminished. Not only will they taste fresher, but they also won't cause "heatiness."
5. Drink Some Salt Water
Before eating lychees, you can drink some salt water or other "heat-reducing" foods like Prunella凉茶 (Prunella cold tea), winter melon soup, or mung bean soup to effectively prevent "heatiness." Alternatively, you can cook 20-30 grams of Rehmannia root with lean pork or pork bone soup, which can effectively prevent "lychee disease."
Lychee and Shrimp
6. Choose Lychees from the Eastern Side of the Tree
Because lychees are long-day plants that prefer the afternoon sun, the fruit ripens from the west side. Therefore, lychees from the west side are sweeter but more "heaty." If you are worried about "heatiness," you can choose lychees from the eastern side of the tree, which are more gentle.
7. Chilled Lychees
Place freshly picked lychees in a container and submerge them in a well or cold spring water overnight. Eating them the next day will prevent "heatiness." It can also transform the "dry qi" and nourish yin. The great poet of the Qing Dynasty, Qu Dazuan, wrote a poem about this: "A deep well of cold spring, a hundred feet deep, plucked and soaked in the well overnight. The essence of the sun transforms into the cold splendor of the moon, and eating much of it nourishes the yin."
Fried Cheese Lychee Balls
Fried cheeseball
Shrimp
Squids of red date