Longan facts for kids
Longan (scientific name: Dimocarpus longan) is the name for a tree in the Sapindaceae (soapberry) family. It comes from the southern part of Asia and is related to the lychee.
The fruit of the longan is white, round, and together with its hard seed, looks like an eyeball when the shell is peeled off. This gave the fruit its name in Chinese, which means "dragon's eye". The English name is from its pronunciation in Cantonese, the dialect of southern China. The fruit is edible, has a sweet taste, and is often used for cooking. There is a lot of protein and dietary fiber.
Most longan trees are harvested in China, where the fruit was known as early as the Han dynasty and there are many legends about it. In the Western world, though, it was not known until near the end of the 18th century.
Quick facts for kids Longan |
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"Longan" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
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| Traditional Chinese | 龍眼 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 龙眼 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "dragon eye" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Images for kids
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Longan fruit with flesh, seed, and peel visible.
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Longan (Dimocarpus longan) tree leaves
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Longan tree lower trunk
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The longan was described in Joao de Loureiro's work, Flora Cochinchinensis, published in 1790
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See also
In Spanish: Dimocarpus longan para niños
