Longan is a wonderful and delicious tonic fruit used in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a blood tonic, to build energy (Qi), to calm the mind, to strengthen the Spleen, to tonify the Qi of the heart, and to add luster and beauty to the skin.
Its Chinese name is Long Yan Rou, meaning "Dragon Eye Meat." Longan is so named because when fresh, the flesh of the peeled fruit is a translucent white colour. The dark brown seed shows through this translucent flesh and resembles the pupil of an eye, giving the fruit the appearance of the bulging eyes of dragons depicted in Chinese art.
When dried, the fruit becomes a lovely golden colour with a unique flavour unlike any other dried fruit — simultaneously sweet and somewhat savoury, with a hint of smokiness, and a delectable texture that is firm at first, then melts in the mouth. The dried fruit is considered one of China's greatest delicacies, with the finest Longan grown in the foothills of the Wuyi Mountains in southern China.
Dragon Herbs sources its Longan from its Di Tao origin in Fujian Province. Quality varies considerably — some producers soak Longan in sugar water to artificially enhance sweetness. Dragon Herbs uses only the highest quality, unsweetened Longan; it is naturally sweet enough without added sugar.
