Longan (Dragon Eye Fruit)
Pinyin: Guìyuán · traditional food ingredient
AT A GLANCE
The sweet, warm 'dragon eye' fruit — the tradition's evening nourisher, paired with red dates in the tea grandmothers brew for tired days and restless nights.
The traditional view
Longan (Guìyuán, 桂圆) is classified sweet and warm, associated with the heart and spleen systems — the tradition's classic pair with jujube for 'nourishing heart blood and calming the spirit.' It is the fruit version of a warm blanket.
Dried longan flesh (longan ròu, 桂圆肉) is the pantry form — a handful into tea, congee or soup, year after year.
How it is used in the kitchen
Longan & red date tea: longan flesh 10 g, red dates 4, simmered 10 minutes — the classic evening cup.
Longan rice congee: 15 g with rice 80 g, slow-cooked; the winter breakfast version.
In soup: red date, longan & pork skin soup (红枣桂圆猪皮汤) — from the food-therapy reference: dates 15, pork skin 500 g, danggui 20 g, longan 30 g, simmered 3 hours (贫血 chapter).
Who should go easy
Warm and sweet by tradition — the references suggest moderation for those with damp-heat signs (bitter taste, oily skin) or early-stage colds with fever.
Classic source
Longan appears in every food-therapy reference under blood-nourishing fruits; 《百病食疗大全》 collects it across anemia, insomnia and women's-health chapters.
Questions people actually ask
What does longan do?
Traditionally: nourishing heart blood and calming the spirit — the evening fruit for tired, sleepless days. In the kitchen: a warm, sweet addition to teas, congees and soups.
Longan vs lychee — same thing?
Related but different: longan is dried-or-fresh, smaller, gentler and less cloying; lychee is juicier and 'hotter' in the tradition. Longan is the pantry staple.
Can I eat longan every day?
A small handful (10–15 g dried) in tea is the customary amount — the tradition values consistency over quantity.
