Difference between a 妃子笑 (Fei Ji Siu) and other 荔枝 (Lychee)

This is a regular Lychee

Laichi or Litchi or Lychee have always been my favourite fruit and Fei Ji Siu is the best kind of Lychee.

FeijiSiu/Feizixiao/妃子笑 literally translates to concubine smile/laugh. This is in reference to the famous Tang Dynasty Yang Concubine who was the emperor's favourite concubine who happened to really like eating lychees. (you can read more in the "more backstory" section)

inside of a lychee

Since Lychee season is coming up, I decided to talk about the difference between the premium best lychee (FeiJiSiu/Feizixiao/妃子笑) and regular, normal, lychees!

These lychees are hard to find because they are expensive (most grocery stores don't carry them) and are hard to grow. I was very fortunate to find some this year and help you tell the difference between these and "regular" types of lychee.

these are all feijisiu (the premium lychee)

What makes them special:

• they have a good flesh/pit ratio (contains thick flesh)
• they are super sweet
• have a small core/seed
• has a lovely lychee aroma
• they have a beautiful green colour*

Contrary to popular belief, the more green the lychee, the tastier it is. Back in ancient China, people preferred green lychee over red lychee.

can you tell which one isn't a 妃子笑?

Can you tell the difference between the 妃子笑s and the regular lychee?

from appearance:

• it is green
• smaller than a regular lychee
• has a smaller pit/core

these are all 妃子笑 (Fei Ji Siu)

Preservation:

If you ever get your hands on these premium lychees (or any lychee) make sure you eat them right away.

After leaving the branch, on the first day, the colour will change, on the second day, the fragrance will change, on the third day, the flavour will change and on the fourth day, the colour and fragrance will be gone. 

fei jisiu have small seeds

more backstory:

Yang Guifei (Yang Concubine) is known as one of the four most beautiful women in China and she was a concubine in the Tang dynasty to emperor Li Longji. They were in love. Yang Guifei likes to eat lychees. During Lychee harvesting season, she wanted fresh lychees every day. 

Since the capital of China in the Tang Dynasty was in Xi'an and the lychees were grown in Southern China, the emperor ordered the lychees to be shipped after picking so that his most beloved Yang concubine can enjoy them. These lychees were named in reference to the saying " The concubine must eat these lychees in order to make her smile (be happy).