This past summer, while visiting my brother in Japan, I experienced incredible new things and tasted a LOT of good food. I returned to the States with a few souvenirs and gifts, tons of great photos, and an obsession with all things litchi. I got my first taste of litchi (sometimes spelled lychee) the evening I arrived and spent the remainder of my trip scouring Osaka for anything that would give me a fix. Candy, juice, liqueur, baked goods......all litchi, all the time. It wasn't until much later that I realized I had never tasted the actual fruit on it's own! Fast forward to this week, when much to my delight I discovered a can of litchis in syrup at a local import grocery.
When I opened the can, the delicious aroma of litchi was strong. I reached in a popped a litchi into my mouth. The flavor was fantastic- no juice or candy can live up to the genuine article! Unfortunately, the texture of the fruit was exactly how I imagine it would feel to eat a human eyeball. The visual of the litchis, smooth white orbs glistening in a pool of syrup, did not help at all. Feeling crestfallen and a bit freaked out by this latest litchi experience, I decided the best bet was to turn it into sorbet. All the lovely litchi flavor, no creepy eye-fruit texture!
Litchi Sorbet
20 oz. can litchis in syrup
1/2 c. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled to dissolve and cooled)
2 T. lemon juice
2 T water
1 T vodka or litchi liqueur
Drain litchis and reserve syrup. Puree fruit in a blender or food processor and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Whisk together litchi puree, reserved syrup, and remaining ingredients. Chill and freeze in an ice cream maker. Transfer to a freezer safe container with a lid and freeze until ready to serve.
Note: Try a splash of litchi puree in a glass of dry sparkling wine for a twist on a Bellini. Yum!
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