Longan is native to Southern China. It is particular popular among Asians. The shell is bark-like, reddish/brown, thin and less rough than the lychee. It is a medium to large (10 to 20 m tall) evergreen tree with a dense canopy, brittle wood and corky bark that splits and peels. The flesh is whitish, translucent and musky. The seed is round, jet-black, shining, with a circular white spot at the base. It has expanded to several South-east Asia, India and South America. Longan is a minor but popular fruit of the tropics. Longans are much eaten fresh, out-of-hand, but some have maintained that the fruit is improved by cooking. The flesh of the fruit is administered as a stomachic, febrifuge and vermifuge, and is regarded as an antidote for poison.

Thai longan
Thailand’s major production areas for longans are located in the northern regions. There has been an increasing demand for longans in past years; therefore farmers have increased plantation areas in order to meet demand. The longan industry in Thailand is based on seedlings developed from cultivars which were brought in from Southern China a few centuries back. These trees were first planted in Bangkok and Chiang Mai. It is also believed that these trees were the source of the present longan cultivars in Thailand. For the past decades, Thai longans have been much improved through research and development by agriculture scientists. Thai longan fruit can be frozen in its skin in airtight containers. Upon thawing, the fruit can be used in similar manner as freshly picked fruit without any loss of quality. The fruit can be canned in its own juice with little or no added sugar. The Thai cultivars are now generally considered to be more superior in fruit quality to the Chinese cultivars. There are claims that the taste of Thai longan equals or is superior to any other longans elsewhere.