A little like jellied incense, these fruits are protected by a fragile, round, brown shell. Out of their shells, the fruits are white and grapelike, but there is a large, smooth seed inside. Fresh litchis are found in Asian markets in summer. Select fruits with their stems attached in uncracked shellsΓÇöthe redder the shell and the heavier the fruit, the fresher. The unpeeled fruit keeps for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. To serve, peel the fruit and serve whole with a wedge of lemon or lime, perhaps three to five a person. Or use litchis in a tropical fruit cup. When dried, the fruit shrinks, turns dark brown, and has something of a raisin taste. Dried litchis, available in Asian markets, make a delicious after-dinner sweet. Canned, the fruit has dull flavor by comparison.
