This is native Hawaiian guide Warren Costa showing my son how to peel and eat an Asian longan fruit, also called dragon eyes, after a hike around part of the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park on the spectacular Big Island.
There’s a soft husk that you split and peel off before eating the sweet insides.
I think the “dragon eye” name makes them even more appealing.
The miracle not pictured is my Mr. Picky Eater son saying “Sure, I’ll try them,” popping one into his mouth and actually chewing without drama or spitting.
Oh, and he liked them.
(You can follow Warren around the volcanoes – he’s on Twitter at @nativeg. This post is part of the ever-enjoyable WanderFood Wednesday series on the Wanderlust and Lipstick blog. Head over there and check it out!)
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I love longan fruit but didn’t know they were also called dragon’s eyes. I can “see” how that would be totally appealing to a kid.
Yes, I think my kid was half-expecting a dragon to jump out of the bushes and reclaim his “eyes.”
Never tried those Longan fruit – they’re not lychees by another name are they?
No, I think they sorta look similar but lychee are bigger, right? These are grape-sized.
HOW cool! what a fantastic photo.
Longan! Love them! =) And I didn’t know they were called dragon’s eyes either.. Cool stuff..
They’re similar to Lychee.. but a little different. Lychee is sweet, and so is Longan.. but.. there’s a difference in taste that I can’t just quite explain..
Are those fruits available at some sort of store out of hawaii?
Check with your local Asian market; they may have them.
I think I’ve only had lychee once – now I need to go find some to make a taste comparison.
Thanks Jessie – my eyes popped when I saw how the light was falling and I was just hoping I could snap it fast enough.
Its nice photo you was posted I’ve never seen ever this kind of fruit, and yes Sheila you are right maybe it’s possible Fruit are available in the Asian market.
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