HU THE LYCI1EE AND I. UNO AN 



Canned Lychcc and Lunyan 



In recent years lychee and lungan canned in sugared syrup 

 have been making; inroads upon the home and foreign markets and 

 their popularity is rapidly increasing. Most of the canning: factories 

 of South China are now canning this product. 



Food Value of the Lyckct 



That the lychee and lungan as fresh, canned or dried fruit have 

 a great future is indicated not only by its popularity among the Chinese, 

 but also by its increasing popularity as a sweetmeat in western coun- 

 tries. Conclusions drawn by B. K. Read 1 indicate that the lychee 

 makes a good supplementary food, that its calorific value is exceed- 

 ingly high and that jellies made of this fruit might be of value in 

 special. diets. He says: 



" Food Value The proximate composition of the litchi has 

 been estimated by Atwater and Bryant. Like the chestnut it is practi- 

 cally fat free, contains little, if any, protein, and consists very largely 

 of * fiber and nitrogen free extract. ' The latter was found to be 

 composed almost entirely of simple sugars, which accounts far the 

 inclusion of these nuts as a food and for the claim that they are 

 'beneficial to nutrition.' 



4 The various extracts prepared were acid, and showed the 

 presence of citric acid with possible traces of the other common fruit 

 acids, which stimulate the appetite and are well known as 'thirst 

 relieving substances.' There was no pectin body present; but this 

 fruit with its high sugar and acid content on the addition of orange 

 fruit would form an excellent jelly suitable for nephritic and other 

 limited diets, required for diminishing the acidity of the urine. 



"It is reported by Street that owing to its high carbohydrate 

 content 7 g. of litchi are of equivalent calorific value to 10 g. of wheat 

 bread. No other of the many fresh fruits or nuts cited by him show 

 as high a value. I have found the carbohydrate to be a mixture of 

 simple sugars chiefly invert sugar, a carbohydrate easily digested with 

 all its energy available for use in the body. 



1 Read, B.E., The Edible Litchi Rut (Litchi CJilnensis) in Journal 

 Amerirm Chemical Societv, v. 40 no. 5, May, 191 8, pages SI 8 and 819. 



