Anise Hyssop complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
lychees
+ Add to WorkbenchAbout this ingredient
A subtropical Chinese fruit (Litchi chinensis) with extraordinarily fragrant, translucent white flesh under a rough red-pink shell — intensely sweet, with a co…
40 pairings
Editorial
Flavor profile
Fresh lychee is a revelation compared to canned: the translucent, firm-yet-yielding flesh has a complex aromatic that combines rose water, fresh floral notes, and intense sweetness — a combination so distinctive that lychee has inspired martinis, bubble tea flavors, and desserts across Asia and globally. The dominant volatile compound geraniol (also prominent in roses and rose geranium) is responsible for the rose-water character; together with nerol, β-damascenone, and linalool, it creates lychee's signature perfume. Fresh lychees must be eaten within a few days of harvest (the shell blackens and the flesh loses its fragrance quickly); they do not improve with refrigeration. Lychee with ginger, jasmine, and coconut milk are natural partners in Southeast Asian desserts. Lychee in cocktails (lychee martini, lychee sake cocktails) dissolves into the liquid while contributing its aromatic profile. In sorbet, lychee produces one of the most fragrant results of any fruit.
Pairings
Flavor relationships
Pairs well with
anise hyssop
berries
blackberries
chicken
chile peppers
cilantro
coconut and coconut milk
cream
cream cheese
curry
duck
foie gras
ginger
honey
kiwi fruit
lemon, juice
lemongrass
lime, juice
mangoes
melon
nuts
orange, tangerine
passion fruit
pears
pineapple
plums
pork
raspberries
rice
rum
sake
salads, fruit
shellfish, scallops
shellfish, shrimp
strawberries
sugar
vodka
wine, plum
wine, sparkling
yogurt
anise hyssop
Anise Hyssop complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
berries
Berries adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
blackberries
Blackberries adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
chicken
Chicken adds savory richness and browned depth that gives lychees more weight and turns it into a heartier dish.
chile peppers
Chile Peppers brings heat or sharpness that wakes up lychees's milder flavors and adds contrast without needing to rebuild the whole dish.
cilantro
Cilantro complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
coconut and coconut milk
Coconut And Coconut Milk adds richness and helps carry lychees's flavor, giving the pairing a smoother texture and a more rounded finish.
cream
Cream adds richness and helps carry lychees's flavor, giving the pairing a smoother texture and a more rounded finish.
cream cheese
Cream Cheese adds richness and helps carry lychees's flavor, giving the pairing a smoother texture and a more rounded finish.
curry
Curry adds spice, warmth, or aromatic complexity that plays against lychees's natural base notes.
duck
Duck adds savory richness and browned depth that gives lychees more weight and turns it into a heartier dish.
foie gras
Foie Gras complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
ginger
Ginger complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
honey
Honey adds seasoning or sweetness that balances lychees's sharper, richer, or earthier qualities.
kiwi fruit
Kiwi Fruit adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
lemon, juice
Lemon, Juice brings acidity and brightness that sharpens lychees's flavor and keeps the pairing lively.
lemongrass
Lemongrass brings acidity and brightness that sharpens lychees's flavor and keeps the pairing lively.
lime, juice
Lime, Juice brings acidity and brightness that sharpens lychees's flavor and keeps the pairing lively.
mangoes
Mangoes adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
melon
Melon adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
nuts
Nuts adds nutty richness and texture that gives lychees more contrast and substance.
orange, tangerine
Orange, Tangerine brings acidity and brightness that sharpens lychees's flavor and keeps the pairing lively.
passion fruit
Passion Fruit adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
pears
Pears complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
pineapple
Pineapple complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
plums
Plums adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
pork
Pork adds savory richness and browned depth that gives lychees more weight and turns it into a heartier dish.
raspberries
Raspberries adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
rice
Rice gives lychees a starchy or baked base that absorbs flavor and makes the pairing feel more substantial.
rum
Rum adds acidity, aroma, or depth that helps lychees work in sauces, dressings, marinades, and cooked preparations.
sake
Sake complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
salads, fruit
Salads, Fruit adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
shellfish, scallops
Shellfish, Scallops brings briny savory depth that contrasts with lychees's fresher, citrusy, or vegetal notes.
shellfish, shrimp
Shellfish, Shrimp brings briny savory depth that contrasts with lychees's fresher, citrusy, or vegetal notes.
strawberries
Strawberries adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
sugar
Sugar adds seasoning or sweetness that balances lychees's sharper, richer, or earthier qualities.
vodka
Vodka adds acidity, aroma, or depth that helps lychees work in sauces, dressings, marinades, and cooked preparations.
wine, plum
Wine, Plum adds acidity, aroma, or depth that helps lychees work in sauces, dressings, marinades, and cooked preparations.
wine, sparkling
Wine, Sparkling adds acidity, aroma, or depth that helps lychees work in sauces, dressings, marinades, and cooked preparations.
yogurt
Yogurt adds richness and helps carry lychees's flavor, giving the pairing a smoother texture and a more rounded finish.
Berries adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
Blackberries adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
Chicken adds savory richness and browned depth that gives lychees more weight and turns it into a heartier dish.
Chile Peppers brings heat or sharpness that wakes up lychees's milder flavors and adds contrast without needing to rebuild the whole dish.
Cilantro complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
Coconut And Coconut Milk adds richness and helps carry lychees's flavor, giving the pairing a smoother texture and a more rounded finish.
cream
Cream adds richness and helps carry lychees's flavor, giving the pairing a smoother texture and a more rounded finish.
Cream Cheese adds richness and helps carry lychees's flavor, giving the pairing a smoother texture and a more rounded finish.
curry
Curry adds spice, warmth, or aromatic complexity that plays against lychees's natural base notes.
Duck adds savory richness and browned depth that gives lychees more weight and turns it into a heartier dish.
Foie Gras complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
Ginger complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
Honey adds seasoning or sweetness that balances lychees's sharper, richer, or earthier qualities.
Kiwi Fruit adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
lemon, juice
Lemon, Juice brings acidity and brightness that sharpens lychees's flavor and keeps the pairing lively.
Lemongrass brings acidity and brightness that sharpens lychees's flavor and keeps the pairing lively.
lime, juice
Lime, Juice brings acidity and brightness that sharpens lychees's flavor and keeps the pairing lively.
Mangoes adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
melon
Melon adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
nuts
Nuts adds nutty richness and texture that gives lychees more contrast and substance.
orange, tangerine
Orange, Tangerine brings acidity and brightness that sharpens lychees's flavor and keeps the pairing lively.
Passion Fruit adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
Pears complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
pineapple
Pineapple complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
Plums adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
Pork adds savory richness and browned depth that gives lychees more weight and turns it into a heartier dish.
Raspberries adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
rice
Rice gives lychees a starchy or baked base that absorbs flavor and makes the pairing feel more substantial.
Rum adds acidity, aroma, or depth that helps lychees work in sauces, dressings, marinades, and cooked preparations.
Sake complements lychees by adding contrast, depth, or texture without overwhelming the ingredient's main character.
salads, fruit
Salads, Fruit adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
shellfish, scallops
Shellfish, Scallops brings briny savory depth that contrasts with lychees's fresher, citrusy, or vegetal notes.
shellfish, shrimp
Shellfish, Shrimp brings briny savory depth that contrasts with lychees's fresher, citrusy, or vegetal notes.
Strawberries adds fruitiness and natural sweetness that rounds out lychees's sharper, richer, or more aromatic side.
sugar
Sugar adds seasoning or sweetness that balances lychees's sharper, richer, or earthier qualities.
Vodka adds acidity, aroma, or depth that helps lychees work in sauces, dressings, marinades, and cooked preparations.
wine, plum
Wine, Plum adds acidity, aroma, or depth that helps lychees work in sauces, dressings, marinades, and cooked preparations.
wine, sparkling
Wine, Sparkling adds acidity, aroma, or depth that helps lychees work in sauces, dressings, marinades, and cooked preparations.
Yogurt adds richness and helps carry lychees's flavor, giving the pairing a smoother texture and a more rounded finish.