Lychee — Cups to Grams

Measuring Lychee: Flesh, Juice, and Dried

Lychee is measured in three fundamentally different forms, each with a distinct weight per cup. The large difference between fresh flesh and dried reflects the fruit's high water content — fresh lychee is approximately 82% water by weight.

Fresh/canned flesh, whole and pitted (190g/cup): Individual peeled, pitted lychee arranged in a measuring cup nest together with small gaps. This is the primary measurement for most recipes. Canned lychee (drained) weighs essentially the same as fresh — the canning process adds water weight from the syrup but the flesh itself is similar density to fresh.

Juice (245g/cup): Fresh-pressed lychee juice or canned lychee syrup liquid is slightly denser than plain water (237g/cup) due to the dissolved sugars (lychee contains approximately 16–17g sugar per 100g fresh fruit).

Dried lychee (65g/cup): Dramatically lighter — the approximately 82% water loss during drying causes the fruit to shrink and concentrate. 1 cup of dried lychee is sweet, chewy, and rich — roughly equivalent in fruit solids to 3.5 cups of fresh.

Peeling and Pitting: Yield Calculations

Lychee yield from whole fruit is a critical calculation for recipe scaling. The rough pink-red shell is completely inedible and discarded; the smooth oval brown seed inside the flesh is also discarded. These two inedible components account for approximately 45–50% of the total weight of a whole, unpeeled lychee.

Practical yield figures: A medium lychee weighs approximately 18–22g whole and yields approximately 10–13g flesh (55–60% yield). A 1 kg bag of whole lychee yields approximately 500–550g of usable flesh — just under 3 cups. A 567g can of lychee in syrup yields approximately 280–300g drained flesh (approximately 1.5 cups) plus 240–270ml of lychee-flavored syrup.

Peeling technique: grip the fruit, pierce the skin at the stem end with a thumbnail, and peel back in segments — the shell separates in 3–4 pieces. Pit by scoring the flesh with a paring knife along the length and opening like a clam. For large quantities in dessert prep, disposable gloves are advisable — the shells stain hands slightly.

Cocktails and Cold Desserts

Lychee's perfumed, floral sweetness makes it one of the most elegant fruit additions to cocktails and chilled desserts. The key to balancing lychee is its high natural sugar content — recipes that use lychee usually need less added sugar than comparable preparations with neutral fruits.

Lychee martini (single serving): 60ml vodka + 30ml lychee liqueur (Soho or Kwai Feh) + 30ml lychee juice (from canned, approximately 30g) + 15ml fresh lime juice. Shake with ice, strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with 1–2 pitted lychee on a cocktail pick. Optional: 10ml dry vermouth for a drier, less sweet version.

Lychee granita (serves 6): Blend 400g pitted fresh or drained canned lychee + 60g sugar + juice of 1 lime (about 30ml) + 200ml water until smooth. Strain if desired. Pour into a shallow metal baking dish and freeze. Scrape with a fork every 30 minutes for 2–3 hours to create the characteristic icy crystals. Serve immediately in chilled glasses with a sprig of fresh mint.

Lychee agar jelly (Asian style, serves 6): 500ml lychee juice + 250ml water + 10–12g agar agar powder + 60g sugar. Bring liquid to a boil, whisk in agar until dissolved, add sugar, stir. Pour into small molds. Optionally place 1 whole pitted lychee in each mold. Refrigerate 2 hours until set. Agar sets at room temperature (above 38 degrees C) and holds its shape significantly better than gelatin in warm weather.

Savory Applications and Flavor Pairings

Lychee's sweetness and floral character work in savory applications where a contrast element is wanted — similar to how mango or pineapple appear in Thai and Vietnamese salads. Classic savory uses: lychee and prawn salad with fish sauce-lime dressing (use 150g pitted lychee per serving alongside 100g prawns, dressed with 2 tablespoons fish sauce + 1.5 tablespoons lime juice + 1 tablespoon sugar + sliced chili + fresh mint); lychee salsa for grilled duck or pork (200g pitted lychee, roughly chopped + red onion + cilantro + lime + chili); lychee and burrata as a first course with good olive oil and black pepper.

The flavor pairing science behind lychee: its aromatic compounds include geraniol (rose-like), linalool (floral), and multiple esters that create its characteristic perfume. These compounds pair well with: rose and rosewater, ginger (the spice complements the floral notes), coconut (shared tropical aromatic profile), lime and yuzu (citrus brightness cuts the sweetness), and vanilla. Avoid pairing lychee with strong assertive flavors — blue cheese, anchovies, heavily smoked foods — which overwhelm its delicacy.