Dongguan has always enjoyed its flattering title as "home of lychee". Dongguan lychee are famous for their excellence in colour, smell and taste. Dongguan has always been a famous place for growing Lychee in China, and was named the "Excellent Lychee Base" by the National Ministry of Agriculture. According to various records, Dongguan lychees have been planted in large quantities across Chashan and Shilong areas since the Ming Dynasty when the largest farms had thousands of lychee trees.

The varieties of lychee produced in Dongguan include Glutinous Rice Ball, Sweet Osmanthus Flavour, Concubine's Smile, March Red, Black Leaves, and Ash Branches. In recent years, new types of lychee have been developed, such as Red Hydrangea and Core-less Lychee. Of these, Glutinous Rice Ball is famous for being big and sweet with a thin shell, and has received gold awards at the 1st National Agricultural Fair and the Beijing International Agricultural Expo.

Eating lychee

There are two ways to taste lychee, the vulgar way and the learned way. Usually, most people simply remove the stalks, swallow the flesh whole and spit out the core. This is the vulgar way.

Actually, there are three different tastes in the lychee flesh which can only be tasted through a more refined approach. To do so, while shelling, face the stalk downward to observe a straight line of discolouration across the shell up to the stalk. Position the lychee so you can hold each half with three fingers, then squeeze it slightly from the top, and split the shell open into two sides. The white flesh at the top tastes sour, so you can bite and spit this out. The centre flesh is a jade white, sweet and smooth and in taste which should be savoured. The flesh around the core and stalk tastes bitter, and should be avoided for fear of spoiling your palate. Using this general technique, will enhance your enjoyment of the Glutinous Rice Ball, Concubine's Smile, and Hanging Green lychee.

Lychee are supremely nutritious. However, if too many lychee are consumed in consecutive days it may cause dizziness, palpitations, paleness, cold-sweats and hunger pangs. Severe cases (rare!) can cause symptoms, similar to low blood sugar, such as uneven breathing, weak pulse, and even a sudden coma, which is called "lychee disease".

In traditional Chinese medicine, lychee are known for being a fruit with "hot" properties (yang), and excessive consumption can, in certain extreme cases, lead to fainting spells or skin rashes. Those who love lychee and fear the "heat" can drink plenty of salt water to prevent the "lychee disease".