The lychee (Litchi chinensis) and its relatives are some of the finest fruit from South East Asia. Although closely related, the ecological requirements of the fruit differ. The lychee is the most popular Chinese fruit, and is extensively grown in the sub-tropical south east, where it has been cultivated for well over a thousand years. The fruit originated either there, or in the ancient kingdom of Annam which is now central Vietnam.

The longan's (Euphoria longan) origin is disputed. It may be native to the west of Burma or alongside the lychee in China. It is in these regions that it is planted on a large scale. Longan is a prolific bearer and thrives in monsoonal regions with pronounced rainy and dry seasons. Longan is by a wide margin Thailand's greatest fruit export, beating pineapple, durian, and pummelo in money value. A very close relative of the longan, the mata kuching (E. malaiensis), also known as cat's eyes, is cultivated in many areas of South East Asia.

The rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum) and the pulasan (N. mutabile) are from the south east Asian archipelago. They prefer high humidity and rainfall and little variation from a 28ºC daily mean temperature. The pulasan is a little larger than the rambutan, with fewer fruit per panicle, but appearance and eating quality is very similar. The rambutan has soft spines, whereas pulasan is covered with little rubbery studs.
The lychee is a distant relative of the akee. Lychee seed contain parts of hypoglycins like those found in the akee. They, and presumably the seed of near lychee relatives, are toxic and should never be consumed.
All of these fruit vary in quality, depending on cultivar and growing conditions. The quality is reflected by the price range observed at a Thailand market. The cheapest longans, from seedling trees, cab be one twentieth of the price asked for the best recognised cultivars.

Lychees are harvested during early summer, longans during mid and late summer and rambutans, due to its many varieties, are available for much of the year with the main harvest in autumn. Maturity is indicated through a change in colour: in lychee no trace of green should remain when harvested. However, this colour change differs, not only among the three fruit, but almost as much among cultivars. The best practical test is to taste the fruit, which should be quite sweet. Commercially, there is pressure to harvest prematurely to obtain higher prices or to minimise losses to wildlife. Fruit is harvested by cutting off the entire panicle. Later lychees and rambutans are separated from the fruit stalk. Longans are best marketed on the fruitstalk, or they should at least retain a short piece of stem. Plucking the fruit during harvest results in skin tears and fruit left on the panicle keeps better.

Lychee, longan and rambutan are premier dessert fruit and are usually eaten fresh. Lychee and rambutan appeal to most palates. Although the longan has a sweet and rich flavour, some varieties are musky, and the taste must be acquired. But ultimately many people prefer longans.

To open rambutans and pulasans, partially cut through the skin, or just break open using a strong thumb-nail. Longans and lychees may be opened by tearing the skin at the stem end, squeezing the fruit at the lower end, and popping it into the mouth. "Experienced lychee eaters" bite lightly through the skin of the upper third of the fruit to obtain an opening in the skin and squeeze the fruit out.
Lychees may be dried within their shells. The sun dried lychee is well known as lychee-nut and this was the only form in which lychees were available prior to about 1950. In taste and texture these are similar to a date. Canned lychees are readily available. The longan does not require the addition of sugar and retains flavour better than lychee or rambutan. Either of the three fruit is an excellent addition to fruit salads, but they are also quite versatile as shown in some of the main course recipes.

All three fruit may be kept at room temperatures for only two or three days. The longan is enveloped in a smooth, beige-brown, leathery skin. Nonetheless the fruit is highly perishable unless special precautions are taken, such as reducing fruit temperature immediately after harvest. They keep better under refrigeration, and when wrapped in plastic. They may also be frozen, but both texture and taste suffer with the length of storage, especially if the freezer temperature is minimal. After thawing, fruit may be used as if they were fresh.