Longan — Lychee's Quieter, Grape-Flavoured Cousin

Longan is a close relative of lychee and rambutan, though it looks nothing like either — small, round, and covered in smooth, thin, tan-brown skin rather than anything spiky or rough. Crack the shell and you'll find translucent white flesh with a juicy, grape-like consistency and a flavour that's genuinely close to grape too, with a faint musky, tropical note underneath. Like its relatives, longan is picked ripe and doesn't develop further once harvested, so what you're checking for is freshness: skin that's smooth and firm without soft or sunken patches, and a fruit that feels heavy for its size.