Longans have a thin, brown shell that is easy to remove, revealing the opaque flesh and single large, black seed. They taste similar to a grape. Cook and use as you would pitted cherries in sauces, syrups, smoothies or desserts. Newer varieties of longan have a better pit-to-pulp ratio and have freestone pits. Longan is available in late summer from Florida and Hawaii and in the fall from Asian markets.
