Delicious Lychees

The exotic lychee originated in China many centuries ago and today is available throughout the world. The Imperial concubine of the last Great Emperor of the T'ang Dynasty had a passion for the lychee. To please her, the Emperor had them brought from Canton to his palace, a distance of 600 miles, by a relay of guards mounted on fast horses. Speed was essential as the taste and flavour is lost after four or five days.

The Lychee season is quite long starting in November and finishing in February. This year the wet weather in Queensland has played a major role in what looks to be a disastrous season for the Lychee industry.