Lychee bliss, but beware the bite!
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Discussion keeps the world turning. This is Roundtable.

You're listening to Roundtable with myself, He Yang. I'm joined by Steve Hatherly and Yu Shun in the studio. Coming up, Lychees. The fruit is sweet, spiky, and steeped in history, from royal cravings to record harvests, and even a disease named after them. This fruit has stories to tell. This summer, prices are down, production is up, and Lychees are popping up in everything from iced coffee to chicken soup.

So let's take a bite out of the story of this fruit and just remember moderation is key. And life's best moments from the soundtrack of your heart to little things that make you smile. Join us at Roundtable's happy place.

Our podcast listeners can find us at Roundtable China on your favorite podcast platform. Got a question worth exploring? We are game. Send it over to roundtablepodcast at qq.com. Emails are fine, but bonus points for voice memos. They are a listener's favorite. And now on Roundtable.

Ah, lychees or lychees, those spiky little orbs that taste like summer, indulgence, and maybe a dash of danger. Once upon a Tang Dynasty dream in the 8th

century, Emperor Tang Xuanzong sent horsemen galloping across the empire just to deliver lychees to his favorite consort, Yang Guifei. Fast forward to today, you don't need the favor of a smitten

emperor to get your hands on these juicy gems. In fact, with record harvests and falling prices, lychees are practically flooding the market of summer 2025. But be warned, beneath the sweetness lies a

cautionary tale. Have you heard of lychee disease? It sounds like something out of a fruit-themed horror movie, but it's real and surprisingly sneaky. Today, we're peeling back the layers of this beloved fruit in China. So...

Let's go to you first, Yushun. What is the lychee of it all? Yeah, so if you don't know about this fruit, this word of lychee or lychee comes from the Mandarin Chinese word 荔枝, which refers to a sweet tropical fruit native to southern China.

And the meat of this fruit is almost transparent with a little bit of white and the peel of it is quite hard and spiky, as we mentioned a lot. So when Westerners first encountered this fruit, especially during trade with China in the 17th and 18th century, they adopted the word from the local pronunciation and over time it was anglicized to lychee or sometimes it's spelled as lychee.

uh lychee yeah we were talking about the pronunciation of this word in english before the show and i said i don't think i really know how to say this word correctly so i hopped on the internet and watched some pronunciation videos some will say it's pronounced lychee some will say it's pronounced lychee i think you'll hear both talking to native english speakers but the proper pronunciation

closest to Mandarin, I think, the original. Yeah. So let's go with lychee. It's kind of funny though, isn't it? With multiple pronunciations for that. What's closest to Chinese Mandarin is li-chee. Yeah, but supposedly there's one school of thought on the internet saying that when the word sort of was adopted by the Cantonese speakers, then it sounds similar to lychee. And

Well, I suppose I picked up the term in English actually in the UK, which, you know, has had close connections with Cantonese speakers. And therefore, what I heard from the beginning was Lychee's. And that's what I will say. I think both are OK for conversational purposes. Anyway, really good news for us at the supermarkets these days is.

is that the prices have gone down. They previously sold for over 10 yuan for about 500 grams, but now they're priced at about six or seven. For example, at a Beijing supermarket, they were selling at six...

That's less than a dollar. I'm talking yuan there per 500 grams down from 15 yuan previously. And it's less than half of the previous price. So if you're looking for some affordable tasty fruit this summer season, go and pick up this delicious one. Yes. And again,

You mentioned this is a price comparison to the same time last year. And I remember us talking about this last year, but the focus back then was, oh, the prices are so expensive. And there were so many different factors in play. And we also talked about climate change. And yes, weather has a

is a big influence on the price of fruit, veggies, you know, all these groceries that we rely on. But also, this fruit is a little bit special, I would say, for Chinese people and during summertime. And we'll possibly get into the reasons why in a sec.

But from these record-breaking yields to smarter transportation, there's more than one reason behind those falling prices. What are the interesting factors at play this time? First of all, of course, yields is one of the biggest factors here.

in terms of the price of this kind of fruit. A 2025 national leachate production report shows that the total national leachate production in 2025 is projected to reach approximately 3.6 million tons. That is an increase of over

100% compared to the previous year. Maybe that is the reason why that we discussed last year, it was quite expensive. And now this year, the price is coming down. And that is also setting a new historical high.

And Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan, all in southern China, the three main producing regions, are experiencing a super big year with their combined output increasing by about 38% compared to last year. And Guangdong's Liqi output alone is expected to surge by around 135%. Wow. Hmm.

Yeah, favorable weather conditions compared to last winter, including low temperatures and less rain. And that resulted in an over 80% flowering rate for the Guangdong lychee's.

including some premium varieties. So, yeah, better weather, better growing opportunities for the fruit, more supply. The demand is still there, of course, but when you have a supply increase by 100% or more, then sure, we're going to see price drops. Yes, and I think my gut feeling tells me that we're going to completely nerd it out on leisure today on the show. And what's wonderful about this fruit is that there are different varieties

varieties and they ripen at different weeks during summer. And that means that if you're a lychee connoisseur, then if you do look for these different types of lychees, then your palate would be satisfied throughout summer. And the premium varieties include Guiwei liegeur, and that would be the osmanthus

Lychee and it's Othmanthus is Guihua so it's a kind of flower and then there's this really beautiful flowers. Sweet.

Fragrance that not only smells, but you can taste. And it is... I think now is the season. I had some the other day. And also, nuomizi. This is another type that will be ripened very, very soon. I think the early harvest has already hit the market. And then almost...

Three weeks ago, I think, there was an earlier variety that were sort of like the harbingers of the good harvest this year. And it was a little bit more expensive back then. And it was great. And these are different varieties with different hardness of the shell and slightly different taste. And, oh, the size of the...

the what do you call the core the pit the pit yeah and that is essential and for us uh lychee lovers the big or small size of the pit is really important in judging whether this is good fruit or not all of this is new information i thought elichi was elichi i didn't even know there were different styles or different types

And I didn't know that I should be paying attention to the pit size either. This is, you know, we're talking about cost effectiveness, right? When the pit is bigger, of course, the meat is less. Yeah, you want the flesh to be translucent and sweet. So also there's one thing I just find the lychee fruit to be kind of interesting because when you look at it, it's not...

It looks like dinosaur skin and it's not appealing and it's a hardened shell. But once you rip it open and then, you know, it's translucent, fragrant goodness inside. And then there's still also the pit.

that's sort of like a hidden bomb inside there. So it's just a very complex fruit. - Are there any tips? Because when you go to the market and you're choosing your lychees, you can't see the pit. So is there any tip, like what we're supposed to be looking for? - I actually saw some videos on this thing and I really like eating fruit and lychee is one of my favorites, to be honest.

And you can go to the size that is medium size or even smaller because in that way, that means the pit will also grow smaller. If you are picking that huge ones, the pit will be bigger as well. And also the varieties can sort of give you a little bit of hint as well. And also apparently the transportation costs are...

minimal these days, and that really contributes to the falling of the price of lychees. Yeah, and in the early stages of the season in Hainan, they were transporting the fruit by air, but now we're in the peak ripening period, and land transport has become the main method. So these refrigerated trucks that deliver them, they go directly from orchards to markets, and that cuts the transportation costs by half, which is great for

And also competition among e-commerce platforms is stimulating that the price decrease. Enhanced logistics and transportation efficiency, as we mentioned, coupled with that fierce competition among these platforms have also contributed to the price reduction. Indeed. And

Also, you know, despite the fact that we had a typhoon butterfly, but it has not really affected the harvest of lychees, which is definitely good news for the farmers as well as us customers. Lychees are everywhere in summer now, but they were not always so common in China, especially in the northern part of the country where we're at, for example, in Beijing.

What made lychee is a luxury fruit in many parts of China more than a decade ago. And also I mentioned earlier in our discussion, it's kind of a special fruit to us.

To me, I think it mainly comes down to the fact that lychees are difficult to preserve, right? I was watching something about lychee, maybe I will mention later. In the Happy Place segment? Yeah, so there is a theory of the preservation of lychee. In one day, the color changes. In two days, the fragrance fades. By the third day, the flavor is no longer the same. So it is quite hard to...

keep it fresh, right? And in the past, logistics were not as developed. And as a result, many places relied on air freight and cold chain transportation to get lychees delivered in time all around the country, right? And that is why it is quite expensive because that naturally drove up the cost of delivering the fruit, right?

The span of a lychee sounds like a tragic love story. What was that that you said? After one day, the color changes. What was the next one? Two day, the fragrance fades. And third day, the flavor is no longer the same. Time to get a new one. Oh, no.

Oh, no. It does sound like a tragic love story. It does. In Chinese, it is quite poetic. Do you want me to say it? Yes, please. Yes. 一日色變,二日相變,三日未變。 How is that poetic when we're talking about love? When they are rhyming to each other.

Yeah. And I remember as a little girl living in this country in my kindergarten days, once my mom's friend sent us a big box of Lychees. And I remember it was rare to see Lychees in the market and just...

receiving that and my mom was like hiding it at first and really building up the momentum of anticipation and finally when she presented the whole box of lychees it was

Christmas came early. I remember being so happy and I ate so much and I survived it. But yeah, back then it was kind of like a symbol of status and gift giving. But no longer is the case now. Every day, a

people can enjoy light shoes at a very cheap price. Well, and it's for the reasons, and maybe you could say this is a little bit sad, I guess. All of these great developments, you know, in the past decade or so with improvements in cold chain logistics, and you talked about the e-commerce platforms, that way of selling and buying too. So the market has changed in that sense. And I guess...

what made it so unique and rare and special before, the market is flooded a bit now, which is a great thing for consumers and lovers of the fruit. But yeah, that special aspect of it maybe has gone a little bit. A little bit. And now you can just consume as many as you want, I suppose. And there's even...

Disease called lychee disease. How can eating this sweet fruit make you sick? That is when you cannot eat.

As many as you want. When you are having too many of leeches and you will have a kind of severe condition where low blood sugar leads to brain inflammation, that is a very difficult word to call. Hypoglycemic acute encephalitis syndrome. Thank you very much. Mic drop. I'm done for the day. You can wrap up the show.

That was a tough one. So this condition is more common in children aged 4 to 11 years old, and the symptoms vary depending on severity. Light symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, and feeling that your heart is beating too hard, too fast or irregularly, and shortness of breath, pale complexion, and

And thirst and hunger, that is the light symptoms. Yeah, those are some of the lighter symptoms. If it's really serious, it could manifest itself in cold limbs, a rapid pulse, decreased blood pressure, difficulty breathing, confusion or reduced awareness. Your pupils may become restricted. You might suddenly faint.

And it could even cause some sort of brain damage caused by severe low blood pressure, even liver damage, swelling and shock. Those would be on the severe side of things. And if it's not treated properly, Lychee disease can be life-threatening within a few hours. Yeah.

And the most severe outcomes, including death, are typically associated with simultaneously meeting three conditions. One, eating them on an empty stomach. Two, consuming a lot of them at one time. And three, eating unripe lychees and then followed by severe or very serious episodes.

of dangerously low blood sugar. And all of those things together can be the perfect storm. And that can lead to some of those severe symptoms that I was mentioning before. Well, lychees taste so sweet. How can they possibly cause low blood sugar? Yeah, even though they are sweet and full of natural sugars, eating too many can surprisingly lead to low blood sugar. And this happens for a couple of

reasons that disrupting how your blood makes sugar and use fat. And because lychees contain special substances like blah, blah, blah, MCPG. I'm not helping with that one.

Alpha, methyl, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, anyway. And also, these compounds get in the way of your body's normal process for creating its own sugar and breaking down fats for energy. And this means your body can't effectively turn its stored energy into blood sugar and causing your blood sugar levels to drop. Yeah, it can trigger too much insulin. Yes. Like you said, there's a lot of natural sugars in there. But either...

Eating a large amount at once can cause your pancreas to release an excessive amount of insulin. And insulin is that hormone that helps move sugar from your blood into your cells. That rush, sudden rush of insulin can drastically lower your blood sugar and that could lead to that low blood sugar reaction. And children, because they are more

They're still developing, right? Their bodies are still developing and their hormone system aren't fully mature and they aren't as good at managing insulin. And that is why this is making them more vulnerable in this case. Yeah. So if somebody accidentally falls victim to Lychee disease, do you just...

go to the hospital or what do you do? So if those symptoms are mild, like the dizziness or the fatigue, then they say to just immediately lie down flat on your back and then you should consume foods around the house that can quickly raise your blood sugar, like some candy or some honey or some white sugar or something like that.

So that's for the light symptoms. If they're more severe, if you're having convulsions or you collapse, then absolutely immediate medical attention is crucial there. If someone has that type of reaction, don't attempt to feed that person water or food on your own. That could lead to choking. It's best to get some professional help as quick as you possibly can. Yeah, basically the reaction to low blood sugar.

Yeah. So your final question is probably going to be, well, then how much is too much, right? So the Chinese resident dietary guidelines suggest a daily fruit intake of about 200 to 350 grams. And for lychees, that would equate to about 10 to 15 per day. And again, it is recommended to eat these about a half an hour after a meal, and that can help to reduce the irritation on your stomach.

Oh, that's very useful information to know. And I guess for all to take note, even the sweetest things are best enjoyed in moderation. Too many, especially on an empty stomach, can lead to unexpected troubles. Coming up next, welcome to the happiest corner on the airwaves, Roundtable's happy place. Delivery, delivery, delivery. What is it?

Happy Nails from Round Table

Yushun is sharing a TV series where lychee aren't just a fruit. They are at the heart of the plot. How does this juicy fruit take center stage on screen? So I've been watching this Chinese drama called The Lychee Road. It is based on a historical novella by Chinese novelist Ma Boyong. And the main plot, I think He Yang has already spoiled it. It's about...

I'm sorry? Delivering lychee from...

From one place to the capital of that dynasty, Chang'an, which is modern Xi'an in Shanxi. So from southern China to the northwestern China. Yeah, you did. Yes, you did. When? When did I? Spoiled it like a four-day-old leeching. From the beginning. Well, that's the... When you were telling the story of... In my defense, for any Chinese person, you've heard of Fei Zixiao. Yes, that's the story. Oh, okay. I'll...

shut it right now. I was planning on watching it after the show, but now I don't have to. But anyway, so the point is that back then, right, we don't have that high technology. That's not high anymore right now. Refrigeration, high speed transport and even good roads. And this was truly an outrageous challenge. And it sounds simple just to deliver fruit. But

the stakes are high and the obstacles are many and the characters are incredibly rich and layered.

And what I love about this show is how it's not just about transporting fruit. Along the way, you get caught up in political intrigue, unexpected alliances, moments of humor, of course, and touching glimpses into the lives of local people in the story. And another interesting aspect is the people, the way that people dress, they behave, and also speak. It's quite fascinating. They

They use a word for confirmation, zhe, and they always bow like that. It's quite interesting to me when I was watching it. What's the zhe? Zhe, yes. That's like yes? Yes, that means yes. Oh, interesting. See, so it would be the Tang Dynasty, 8th century. Sort of seeing the vivid portrayal on TV of that period of time is always great. And also it was the Tang Empire. And there's just so many interesting little tidbits.

which Ma Boyun is well known for documenting. And he's a very popular author in China. And what he does really well is incorporating all these painstaking,

painstakingly researched details into his writing. And then he really shows you through his books what the world was like in a particular dynasty. But that also poses severe challenge to trying to

Make that into TV, because if you do follow religiously the details in the book, then people might find it might find it a little bit boring when when he can spend 12 pages describing how to like decorate a.

one window in the book, but can you spend a whole episode? Would you have the patience to watch how that window is being decorated in a TV show? You wouldn't. So that's a big challenge. And I wonder what Yu Xun feels about that, as well as, you know, we sort of referenced one of those big, um,

cultural parts about cultural associations or historic associations about the lychee that is the emperor

to please one woman in his life. Ah, yes. And then he sort of wielded his extreme, you know, imperial power to please her by bringing her the lychee. But I used to think as I grew older, is this one other classic of blaming one woman?

of the ills of the decision of a man or a political system. That's also in the story, actually. Of course, at the surface, it's like using the whole nation's power just to please a lady. But actually, it is also showing the power of this country that we can do everything that we would like to do. We can deliver one thing

very precious fruit from one destination to another. Well, who's spoiling the plot now? All Chinese people know this, so maybe this is not... Well, the Canadians don't. There should be an expiry date on spoilers, I suppose. Yeah, I would say just, you know, let go of the lady. She's too tired of shouldering the shame and blame of...

of too much. And that's all I have to say. And thank you so much, Steve and Yushun for joining in the discussion. I'm Hayoung. We will see you next time.