Dried Longan Fruit (Long Yan Rou) | (100g)

The story of Long Yan Rou

The longan tree, Dimocarpus longan, is a large evergreen in the soapberry family (Sapindaceae), grown across southern China and South-East Asia. It is a close cousin of the lychee and rambutan. Its fruit grow in heavy clusters, each with a thin, tan shell, translucent white flesh and a single glossy dark seed.

That seed gives the fruit its name. Long Yan means "dragon's eye", because a peeled longan, with its pale flesh and dark centre, looks like an eye looking back at you. Long Yan Rou means "dragon eye flesh", and it is this flesh, botanically called the aril, that is dried and sold.

Fresh longans are only in season for a few weeks each summer, so drying has long been the way to enjoy them all year round. Drying turns the flesh deep amber-brown, soft and slightly chewy. In traditional Chinese practice, longan flesh is described as warm in nature and has long been used in comforting teas and sweet soups, especially in colder months. We share this as cultural heritage, not as a health claim.

Dried longan appears in many festive and family dishes, from eight treasures rice to the sweet dessert soups known as tong sui, and it is a familiar sight in Chinese grocery stores across the UK.

Fresh and dried longan

In the UK, fresh longans appear in Asian grocers for a short season, usually in late summer, and are eaten peeled like grapes. Dried longan is a different ingredient altogether. Drying concentrates the fruit, darkens the colour and changes the texture from juicy to soft and chewy, which is why dried longan is used for teas, soups and baking rather than as a fresh fruit substitute.

What's in your pack

Each bag contains dried longan flesh with the shells and seeds already removed, so it is ready to use. Nothing is added: no sugar, syrup or preservatives. The pieces are soft and sticky, and they often cling together in small clusters. Simply pull them apart before using.

How our longan is sourced

Our dried longan is DaoDi-sourced. DaoDi is a traditional Chinese term for ingredients grown in the region long regarded as producing the finest quality of that particular plant, where soil, climate and generations of growing experience come together. Learn more about DaoDi herbs.

Why sulphur-free matters

Dried fruit is sometimes treated with sulphur to keep it pale and extend shelf life. It can leave residues and cause reactions in people sensitive to sulphites. Our longan is left untreated, which is why it has a naturally deep amber colour.

How to make longan tea

1. Rinse 10–15g of dried longan (about 8–10 pieces) in warm water.
2. Add to a pan with 500ml of water and bring to the boil.
3. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Pour into cups and eat the softened fruit too.

For a quicker cup, steep the pieces in freshly boiled water for 10 minutes with a lid on.

Loose dried longan or concentrated granules?

Ideas to try with our longan

• Longan and red date tea: simmer with 4–5 dried jujube dates, a classic winter pairing.
• Longan, goji and red date tea: add a small handful of goji berries for the last 5 minutes.
• Sweet lotus seed soup: cook with lotus seeds and dried lily bulb until tender.
• Longan rice pudding: stir chopped longan into rice pudding or congee as it cooks.

Cooking ideas

Dried longan is a lovely addition to baking. Chop it into muffins, flapjacks, granola and fruit loaves, or use it in place of raisins in scones. It works in winter fruit compotes and mulled drinks, and soaked longan can be blended into smoothies or folded into yoghurt and overnight oats.

Storing your pack

Dried longan is soft and contains natural sugars, so it can absorb moisture. Keep it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place, or in the fridge in warm or humid weather. Use by the best-before date on the pack.

Sources: Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China (2020), Volume I, Long Yan Rou (Longan Arillus), p. 100 · Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plants of the World Online: Dimocarpus longan.