Lychee: The Exotic Vietnamese Fruit That’s Bursting with Flavor

What is lychee

Taste & flavor

Lychee season

Growing & harvesting

Nutrition facts

How to eat

Lychee in Vietnamese life

FAQs

What is the fruit lychee?

Overview

Vietnamese name: vai, vai thieu

Shape and appearance: small, round to slightly oval, with rough red to pink skin; inside is translucent white flesh that surrounds a single dark seed.

Flavor profile: juicy and sweet, with a light floral aroma and a gentle tang.

How to enjoy it: Enjoy lychees fresh, in tea, sweet soups, or tropical desserts—or try them dried, in smoothies, or even stir-fried with rice for a creative twist.

Harvest season: lychee is harvested from May to July in Vietnam.

Shape and color of lychee

Lychee is a round or slightly oval fruit, usually about 3 to 5 centimeters long and around 3 centimeters in diameter. Its outer skin is rough and bumpy, covered in small, raised nodules. When ripe, the skin turns pink to red, with a textured surface that feels slightly dry to the touch. This appearance is typical of fresh Vietnamese lychees at peak ripeness.

Close-up of ripe Vietnamese lychee fruits with bumpy skin in shades of red and green.

This image shows ripe Vietnamese lychees with their pink-red skin and bumpy texture, indicating they’re ready to eat.

Earlier in the growing season, lychees are still green and firm. As they ripen on the tree, the skin gradually changes color, and the fruit inside becomes juicy, sweet, and aromatic. Being able to spot this change is helpful whether you’re harvesting them fresh or shopping at a local market.

Unripe green lychee fruits growing on a tree in Vietnam, before turning red when ripe.

This image shows unripe lychee fruits still hanging on the tree, with firm green skin and a bumpy texture.

A lychee fruit next to a ruler, showing its typical size—about 3 to 5 centimeters long and around 3 centimeters in diameter.

This image shows the actual size of a typical lychee, with a ruler used to measure both its length and diameter.

What’s inside a lychee

Inside a lychee, you’ll find thick, soft, and translucent flesh. At the center is a single smooth, brown seed, which isn’t edible. It’s the refreshing white flesh that people love—perfect for snacking, desserts, or tropical drinks.

Close-up of a ripe lychee cut in half, showing white translucent flesh and a shiny brown seed.

A close-up shot of a ripe lychee, sliced open to show its juicy flesh and seed.

Taste and flavor of lychee

Sweetness and aroma

Ripe lychees have a naturally rich sweetness with a hint of tartness. The flesh is soft, juicy, and refreshing. In Vietnam, lychees from Luc Ngan, Bac Giang – one of the country’s most renowned lychee-growing regions – are prized for their floral aroma, tender texture, and deep sweetness, with a natural sugar content (Brix level) ranging from 18% to 21% source (Vietnamese).

Brix Level (°Bx) measures the sugar content in a liquid as a percentage. One degree Brix equals 1 gram of sugar (specifically sucrose) in 100 grams of liquid. It’s a common way to gauge how sweet things like fruit, juice, wine, and honey are. The higher the Brix level, the sweeter the product.

Close-up of a peeled lychee held by hand, showing its white translucent flesh.

A peeled lychee reveals its juicy, translucent flesh—sweet, fragrant, and ready to enjoy.

Comparison to other fruits

Lychee is often compared to grapes because of its juicy texture and sweetness. But it has a floral aroma that sets it apart. Some say it tastes like a mix between a grape and a rose petal, with a subtle tang that’s somewhat similar to strawberry. Compared to longan, lychee is juicier and has a lighter, more refreshing scent, without the musky smell that longan naturally has. If you like fruits such as pears, grapes, strawberries, or rambutan, lychee is likely to be a refreshing favorite.

Our detailed article: Lychee vs Longan: What’s the Difference?

Lychee and longan fruits placed side by side, showing differences in skin texture, color, and shape

Side by side: A bunch of lychees and longans showing their clear differences in size, skin texture, and color.

When is lychee in season?

In Vietnam, lychee season runs from May to July, which is early summer to mid-summer. This is when the fruit is at its best—juicy, fragrant, and full of flavor.

The harvest is concentrated in northern provinces, especially Bac Giang and Hai Duong, where the climate and soil are ideal for growing lychee. In these regions, the season usually begins in early to mid-May, peaks in June, and wraps up by early July.

If you want to enjoy Vietnamese lychees at their freshest, the best time is from late May to mid-June, when they are widely available in markets and at their peak sweetness.

Lychee fruits on the tree in Vietnam, turning from green to red as they begin to ripen before harvest.

This image shows lychee fruits on the tree in Vietnam as they begin to ripen.

How lychee is grown and harvested in Vietnam

Growing conditions for lychee in Vietnam

Lychee trees thrive in tropical and subtropical climates without frost. While they need warm, humid conditions to grow, they also require a short period of cooler weather to start flowering. In Vietnam, temperatures between 11°C and 14°C for several days during winter help trigger the flowering stage. This natural chill is essential for proper bud development and ensures better fruit production in the following season.

Because of this climate requirement, lychee is only grown commercially in northern Vietnam, where the winter temperatures are suitable for flower initiation. The two main provinces known for lychee production are Bac Giang and Hai Duong, which are famous for both the quality and quantity of their lychees.

Lychee tree beginning to flower and fruit during early spring in Vietnam, under ideal temperature conditions.

This lychee tree is entering its flowering and early fruiting stage, under ideal temperature conditions in Vietnam

Ripe lychees on a tree in Vietnam during harvest season

Close-up of Vietnamese lychee fruits ripening on the tree with vibrant green leaves

Nearly two months after flowering, this lychee tree in Vietnam now bears ripe, ready-to-harvest fruit.

Harvesting lychee in Vietnam

Farmers care for the trees year-round, from pruning branches to monitoring for pests. No large machinery is used—almost everything is done by hand. When lychees start to ripen between May and July, they’re carefully picked by hand to avoid damaging the thin skin. This hands-on approach helps keep the fruit fresh and in good condition for the market.

Vietnamese farmer standing on a lychee tree and handpicking ripe fruits into a bucket during harvest season.

A farmer in Vietnam carefully harvesting lychees by hand during the early summer season.

Nutritional benefits of lychee

Here’s the nutritional breakdown for a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of lychee, based on USDA data:

Nutrient	Amount	Notes
Vitamin C	71.5 mg	Boosts immune health and acts as a powerful antioxidant.
Energy	66 kcal	Low-calorie, naturally sweet fruit—great for light snacking.
Total Sugars	15.2 g	Naturally occurring sugars for quick energy.
Carbohydrates	16.5 g	The main source of calories, mostly from natural sugars.
Water	81.8 g	Helps keep you hydrated.
Fat	0.44 g	Very low in fat
Potassium	171 mg	Helps maintain blood pressure and fluid balance.
Fiber	1.3 g	Aids digestion and promotes gut health.
Iron	0.31 mg	Important for red blood cell function.
Protein	0.83 g	Contributes a small amount to daily protein intake.

How to eat a lychee

So you’ve got a handful of fresh lychees—now what? Here’s exactly how to eat one without making a mess:

Step 1: Pick fruits that have bright red or pinkish skin and feel slightly soft to the touch.

Step 2: Use your fingers to peel off the thin, bumpy shell.

Step 3: Carefully bite or split the fruit and take out the shiny brown seed inside.

Step 4: Pop the translucent flesh into your mouth and enjoy its sweet, floral flavor!

Step-by-step photo guide showing how to eat a lychee—from whole fruit, peeling, revealing the seed, to the juicy flesh.

A 4-step photo guide showing how to eat a lychee

How lychee is used in Vietnamese culture, medicine, and cuisine

The cultural significance of lychee in Vietnam

In Vietnam, lychee isn’t just a summer fruit—it’s a symbol of prosperity, health, and good fortune. The fruit’s red skin is especially meaningful in Vietnamese culture, where the color red represents luck and happiness.

During Tet Doan Ngo, celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, lychee is commonly placed on the family altar along with other traditional Vietnamese fruits. Offering a bunch of fresh lychees is a way to honor loved ones who have passed and to pray for health and blessings in the months ahead.

Beyond its role in tradition, lychee is a source of national pride. Its striking appearance, floral aroma, and sweet, juicy taste are unlike any other fruit, and many Vietnamese believe that nowhere in the world produces lychees quite like Vietnam

Lychee fruit offering on Vietnamese altar for Tet Doan Ngo tradition

A bunch of lychees, displayed alongside other traditional fruits on a Vietnamese ancestral altar during Tet Doan Ngo

Traditional medicinal uses of lychee

Note before we begin:

These uses of lychee come from traditional Vietnamese folk remedies passed down through generations. While people still enjoy them today, they’re not backed by modern medical research, so think of them as cultural insights rather than medical advice.

In Vietnamese folk remedies, nearly every part of the lychee fruit has its own traditional use:

Lychee peel is often dried and boiled into a tea believed to help cool the body and support detoxification.

Fresh or dried lychee flesh is traditionally used to ease fatigue—both mental and physical—and is thought to help with muscle soreness, especially in the shoulders and lower back.

Lychee seeds, when dried, crushed, or boiled, have been used to relieve stomach discomfort, soothe toothaches, and support blood sugar balance.

Lychee in traditional Vietnamese cuisine

Dried lychees: Sweet, chewy, and long-lasting

While fresh lychees are perfect for snacking and summer drinks, drying them is a great way to preserve their unique flavor. In Vietnam, the fruits are often dried with the skin still on. During the process, the flesh gradually darkens and develops a chewy texture with rich, caramel-like sweetness. It’s a traditional method, especially popular during lychee season, and it makes for a delicious treat that lasts well beyond summer

Lychee tea

Lychee tea is a refreshing summer drink that blends the floral sweetness of lychee with the slight bitterness of brewed tea. Typically made with fresh lychees, oolong tea, and rock sugar, it’s chilled and served over ice—perfect for beating the tropical heat. Popular during lychee season, this drink is both flavorful and easy to make at home.

A chilled glass of Vietnamese lychee tea, made with fresh lychee fruit, jelly, ice, and oolong tea

Lychee and lotus seed sweet soup

This light and soothing dessert combines tender lotus seeds with juicy lychee for a naturally sweet treat. The lotus seeds are gently simmered until soft, then tucked into peeled lychees before being briefly cooked in a fragrant syrup. It’s a popular summertime dish in Vietnam—cool, refreshing, and simple to make at home.

Lychee fried rice

This creative Vietnamese dish brings a tropical twist to classic fried rice. Originating from the Mekong Delta, it’s made by stir-frying steamed rice with juicy lychee, eggs, and savory ingredients like sausage or char siu. As everything sizzles together in the pan, the lychee softens and releases a gentle sweetness that blends beautifully with the richness of the rice and proteins