Lychees - the small red fruits that delight many of us - have been gracing supermarket and fresh food market shelves for a while.

With its rough leathery skin giving way to a sweet white fleshy interior, the lychee is having its day now in Australia, growing in popularity in recent years.

Did you know this humble looking fruit with its rough exterior was introduced to Australia in the 1870s by Chinese immigrants who were searching for gold?

With the Lunar New Year approaching, here are some other quick facts about lychees:

1. Lychees are hung as a traditional Buddhist offering and are offered as a good luck charm
2. We produce them here in Australia - mostly in Queensland. In fact, we have the longest production season in the world for lychees, from late October to late March
3. One serve of lychees contains as much vitamin C as a small orange - now, that’s supercharged!
4. They’re often called the “king of fruits”
5. Finally, lychees are a symbol of love and romance.

If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, lychees also have very few calories and are fat-free. They can even be used in savoury cooking - how versatile is that?

Or for the sweet fans out there (and we know there’s a few of you!), lychees make a perfect combination with lime or coconut.

Want to include this flavour in your next Florentia order?

We’ve got a flavoursome lychee paste, made with real lychees, perfect to add to a gelato or sorbet base. Or for something a little more unusual, go for our lychee rose paste - a delightful combination of lychee and pure aromatic rosewater.

Place your order today!