India is the second largest producer of litchi in the World after China. Other major producing countries are Thailand, Australia, South Africa, Madagascar and Florida in US.
Litchi is a delicious juicy fruit of excellent quality. The translucent, flavoured aril or edible flesh of the litchi is popular as a table fruit in India, while in China and Japan it is preferred in dried or canned state.
The food value of litchi mainly lies in its sugar content which varies from variety to variety. The fruit is also rich in Vitamin B1, Riboflavin & Vitamin C apart from proteins (0.7%), fats (0.3%), carbohydrates (9.4%), minerals (0.7%), fibrous matter (2.25%), calcium (0.21%), phosphorus (0.31%), iron (0.03%) and carotene. Litchi makes an excellent canned fruit. A highly flavoured squash is also prepared from the litchi fruits, which is used during summers. Various other products such as pickles, preserves and wine are also made from litchi in China.
