Produce

Dried Longan

Chewy, smoky-sweet dried fruit simmered in Chinese soups, teas and tonic desserts.

Dried longan is the shelled, dehydrated flesh of the longan fruit, dark amber, chewy, and intensely sweet with a smoky note. It is steeped in teas and simmered in Chinese sweet soups, congee, and herbal tonics, often paired with red dates and goji berries. Valued in traditional cooking as a warming, nourishing ingredient, it rehydrates and softens as it cooks.

Dried longan is the sun-dried or mechanically dried flesh of the longan fruit (Dimocarpus longan), a tropical stone fruit in the Sapindaceae family alongside lychee and rambutan. The drying process concentrates the fruit's natural sugars into an intensely honeyed, floral sweetness, while traditional sun-drying imparts a subtle smokiness absent from the fresh fruit. The flesh becomes dense, chewy, and slightly sticky—unlike the juicy burst of fresh longan—making it suited for slow-simmered preparations where it releases sweetness gradually into broths and liquids. In Chinese markets, dried longan is typically sold loose by weight in open bins or bags, which generally signals higher quality than the sealed packages common in Western grocery stores. Vietnamese and Thai varieties tend toward a softer texture; Chinese varieties from Fujian and Guangdong are widely considered the premium standard. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, dried longan is classified as warming and is one of the most valued tonic ingredients—believed to nourish the blood, calm the spirit, and support healthy sleep. This dual identity as both culinary ingredient and medicinal herb shapes nearly every traditional preparation, from restorative postpartum congees to calming evening teas.

Measured in: g
Storage: Pantry

Types & varieties

Jin Zhen (Golden Pearl)

Premium grade; large, plump, uniform pieces with bright color and high sweetness

Huang Guan

Common export grade; medium-sized, widely available in Asian markets

Chuang Gu

Commercial grade; smaller pieces, often used in tea blends and soups

Wild or mountain longan

From uncultivated trees; smaller fruit, more intense flavor, higher price

Fresh vs. Dried Longan

The distinction matters in the kitchen. Fresh longan is juicy and lightly sweet with a translucent flesh; it is used in desserts, eaten out of hand, or added at the very end of cooking where its delicate character would be lost to prolonged heat. Dried longan undergoes a fundamental transformation—the sugars concentrate, the texture firms into a dense chew, and for sun-dried varieties, a gentle smokiness develops. This dried form is not a substitute for fresh; it serves entirely different culinary purposes. More importantly, within TCM and many traditional recipes, the fresh and dried forms are assigned different properties, so follow the recipe's specification closely.

Fresh: cooling properties, juicy texture, added at end of cooking or served raw
Dried: warming properties, chewy texture, slow-cooked to release concentrated sweetness

Common uses

Chinese tonic soups: longan and ginseng, longan with astragalus, eight-treasure sweet soup (ba bao tang)Rice congee and porridge, especially for restorative or post-partum mealsSteeped as a tea, alone or with goji berries, red dates, or chrysanthemumSweet dessert soups (tong sui): lotus seed and longan soup, winter melon and longanRice puddings and sticky rice dessertsInfused into simple syrups for cocktails or dessert drizzlesLongan honey: rehydrated and blended with honey for a fruit spread

Tips & pitfalls

Quality indicator: Choose glossy, plump pieces; avoid those that are dull, hard, or have visible mold spots
Rehydrate briefly in warm water (5–10 min) before adding to soups to ensure even cooking throughout the pot
Always remove the hard seed from fresh longan before drying; dried longan is typically sold seedless
For tea, a small handful (5–10 pieces) per person is sufficient; steep 5–10 minutes for good extraction
Pair with slightly bitter or astringent herbs (goji, chrysanthemum) to balance the concentrated sweetness
Do not overcook in soups: add in the last 10–15 minutes to preserve some chew and prevent mushiness
Store away from strong odors; dried fruit readily absorbs neighboring flavors from garlic, spices, or strong tea
Common mistake: Using too much—dried longan is intensely sweet and can overwhelm other ingredients
Common mistake: Skipping rehydration for soup use, resulting in uneven texture where some pieces stay hard while others soften

Nutrition

60kcal

Energy

251 kJ · per 100 g

Where the calories come from

Protein 8%Carbs 91%Fat 1%

Protein

1.3g

3% DV

Carbs

15.1g

6% DV

Fat

0.1g

0% DV

Fiber

1.1g

4% DV

Sodium

0mg

0% DV

Notable micronutrients

Vitamin C93% DV

Riboflavin (B2)11% DV

Potassium6% DV

Thiamin (B1)3% DV

Niacin (B3)2% DV

Magnesium2% DV

Source · USDA FoodData Central · Longans, raw

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In the shops

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Good to know

Origin: Southern Asia; major production in China (Fujian, Guangdong), Vietnam, Thailand
Plant family: Sapindaceae (soapberry family, same as lychee and rambutan)
Botanical name: Dimocarpus longan
Processing: Fresh longan is pitted, then sun-dried or mechanically dried until chewy; traditional sun-drying imparts a mild smoky flavor
Color (dried): Deep amber to dark brown; quality pieces are glossy, not dull
Flavor: Concentrated sweetness with honey and floral notes; mild smokiness from traditional drying
Texture: Chewy, slightly sticky; flesh should be thick and gelatinous, not hard or papery
TCM classification: Warming; believed to nourish blood, calm the spirit, and support sleep
Storage: Airtight container in cool, dry place; refrigerate for extended shelf life (up to 1 year)
Key nutrients: Iron, vitamin C, potassium, riboflavin; natural fruit sugars concentrated by drying

Substitutes

Dried lychee — Similar chewy texture and sweetness; slightly less floral, more acidic; use 1:1
Dried longan in syrup — Softer texture, very sweet; rinse before using to control sweetness; reduce other sweeteners in recipe
Dried jujube (red dates) — Different flavor (earthy, not fruity) but similar warming tonic use in Chinese cooking; texture is softer; not a direct flavor substitute but works in the same soup applications
Goji berries — Not similar in flavor but used in same tonic preparations; add sweetness and body to soups and teas

Pairs with

Goji berriesRed dates (jujube)Lotus seedsGinseng (Korean or American)Astragalus root (huang qi)Winter melonChrysanthemumBlack sesame Ginger

Also called

桂圓 · Longan · Dried Dragon Eye