Basic Introduction to Huilai Lychee
Huilai Lychee is a specialty of Huilai County, Guangdong Province and a Chinese national geographical indication product. Huilai Lychee is a traditional delicacy in the Chaoshan region, renowned as one of the “Four Great Fruits of Lingnan” for its fresh color, fragrance, and sweetness, which have made it famous worldwide. The unique climate and natural environment provide an excellent ecological habitat for the growth and development of Huilai Lychee, forming distinct regional advantages and strong local product characteristics.
Huilai Lychee, also known as Danlychee or Litchi, is ranked alongside bananas, pineapples, and longans as one of the “Four Great Fruits of the South.” Its translucent white flesh resembles jade, and its shape is reminiscent of the small purses carried by ladies in ancient times, hence the nickname “Jade Pouch.” Lychees are rich in sugars, proteins, various vitamins, fats, citric acid, pectin, phosphorus, iron, and other trace elements beneficial to human health.
The variety resources of Huilai Lychee are abundant, with sixteen varieties including “Wuye (also known as Black Leaf),” “Huizhi,” “Nianmi Zhi,” “Feizixiao,” “Bailao,” and “Guiwei.” The rate of superior strains reaches 87%, making the variety resources particularly rich. Among them, the “Wuye,” “Huizhi,” and “Nianmi Zhi” varieties account for over 90% of the annual total production in the county. In particular, Huilai's “Wuye” lychee is well-renowned and was independently selected and cultivated by the people of Huilai County, possessing independent intellectual property rights.
Huilai County in Jieyang City, Guangdong Province, has a subtropical monsoon humid climate characterized by high temperatures and humidity, abundant rainfall, and long daylight hours, with an annual average of 2042 hours of sunshine. The average annual temperature is 21.8°C, and the average annual rainfall is 1829 millimeters. The monthly average temperature remains above 14°C, effectively eliminating winter conditions, ensuring lush greenery year-round. This climate satisfies the low-temperature requirements for the differentiation of flower buds in late-maturing lychee varieties without exposing them to frost damage, making it highly suitable for lychee cultivation. The county is rich in water resources, with an average annual precipitation volume of 2.34 billion cubic meters and a surface runoff of 1.35 billion cubic meters. There are over 200 reservoirs and mountain ponds with a combined storage capacity of nearly 400 million cubic meters. The main planting areas of Huilai Lychee are located in the towns of Kuitan and Longjiang in the western part of the county and Huicheng and Hualake in the central part. The Longjiang River, one of the four major rivers in the Chaoshan Plain, flows through these regions, and most of the irrigation water for Huilai Lychee comes from this river. The water of the Longjiang River is clear and unpolluted, consistently meeting national Grade II water quality standards or higher throughout the year. The unique climate and natural environment provide an excellent ecological habitat for the growth and development of Huilai Lychee, forming distinct regional advantages and strong local product characteristics.
In 2005, the lychee planting area in Huilai County increased to 210,000 mu, accounting for 52.1% of the total economic forest area in the county. The main varieties included San Yue Hong, Shuidong, Feizixiao, Guiwei, Nianmi Zhi, and Huizhi, with a rate of superior strains reaching 87%. The county established a 100,000 mu high-quality lychee base consisting of “one belt, two systems, and three bases,” and founded 120 specialized lychee planting villages and 350 orchards, with over 1,500 bases covering more than 100 mu each.
In 2009, the lychee planting area in Huilai County reached 14,000 hectares, with an annual average output of 75,000 tons, including 30 planting bases covering over 1,000 mu each.
Nutritional Value
Lychees are rich in sugars, proteins, various vitamins, fats, citric acid, pectin, phosphorus, iron, and other trace elements, making them beneficial fruits for human health.
History and Folklore
The earliest written record of lychees appears in Sima Xiangru's “Shanglin Fu” from the Western Han Dynasty, where lychees are referred to as “Lizhi.” According to the explanation provided by Su Song, a famous scholar of the Song Dynasty in his “Illustrated Classic of Materia Medica,” based on “Funan Ji,” the name “Lizhi” originates from the fact that “when the fruit is formed on the tree, the branches are weak but the peduncle is firm, making it impossible to pick by hand; thus, the branches must be cut down with a knife or axe, hence the name.” Lychees became known as a precious fruit in Central China during the early Western Han Dynasty. “Xijing Zaji” records: “King Zhao Tuo of Nan Yue presented Emperor Gao with shark fish and lychees.” According to this record, Zhao Tuo offered lychees as tribute to Emperor Liu Bang in the early Han Dynasty.
In Wang Yi's “Lychee Fu” from the Eastern Han Dynasty, there are descriptions such as “shining like morning sun reflected on the horizon, densely clustered like stars adorning the sky,” “admiring its beautiful appearance and enjoying its sweet taste,” “outstanding among all fruits, unparalleled in value,” and other praises.
Huilai has had a tradition of growing lychees since ancient times. According to “Chaozhou Fu Zhi” (Huilai was under Chaozhou Fu in ancient times), “Emperor Wen of Wei decreed that the rare and exotic fruits of the south include longans and lychees, which are found everywhere in the nine counties.” This shows that Huilai in Guangdong Province had a tradition of growing lychees as early as the Three Kingdoms period, a history spanning over 2,000 years.
Preparation Method
Guiwei Lychee Tea
Ingredients
Guiwei lychees, fine granulated sugar, maltose
Method
1. Remove the shells and pits from the lychees
2. Mix all the fine granulated sugar with the lychees evenly and let stand for 20 minutes
3. After the lychees release their liquid, pour into a pot and bring to a boil over high heat
4. Simmer over low heat, stirring constantly, and add maltose halfway through
5. When the lychees change color and the juice thickens, you can bottle it.
Awards and Honors for Huilai Lychee
On December 27, 2007, the original General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine approved geographical indication protection for “Huilai Lychee.”
On September 18, 2020, the Center for Quality and Safety of Agricultural Products of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs officially included it in the National Directory of Famous, Special, and Superior New Agricultural Products.