Help me identify this fruit

[NuclearNed]

The fruit is about the size of a large grape. The skin is kind of leathery and green/brown. I had to tear off the skin to get to the edible part. The "meat" is clear/white and has the texture of the inside of a white grape. It tastes and smells a lot like a grape. In the center is a single seed that is dark brown and about the size of a pea. The seed looks a lot like a tiny buckeye.

I ate this fruit at the buffet at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The Asian folks seemed to like them a lot, and had piles of them on their plates. I brought home some of the seeds to try to grow some plants, but I need to know what type of environment these plants like.

Any ideas?

 

[KeithTalent]

Does it look like this: https://www.picturestore.com.a....aspx?productID=273179

KT

 

[IronWing]

monkey scrotum

 

[GoPackGo]

This is probably it.

 

[Stiganator]

..

 

[NuclearNed]

Originally posted by: GoPackGo
This is probably it.

I think that's it - the picture of the green peeled fruit looks exactly like it, and the seeds look the same.

Thanks!!!

 

[AmberClad]

Originally posted by: GoPackGo
This is probably it.

This ^^^

I've tried them before, but they always seem to leave an astringent feel.

 

[Doodoo]

Either the lychee mentioned above or a longan.

 

[iroast]

Originally posted by: AmberClad

Originally posted by: GoPackGo
This is probably it.

This ^^^

I've tried them before, but they always seem to leave an astringent feel.

It's probably from the nicotinic acid in lychees.

http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/lychee.html

 

[acid45]

http://dico-cuisine.fr/images/Physalis_DC_t.800.jpg

 

[ICRS]

http://www.lycheesonline.com/photos/longans.jpg

 

[Gibson486]

MMMMM....Logan is good!

 

[ivan2]

this:

http://www.nk963.com/nk/40/01.htm

I had never seen it in the states. Seems very specific to southern east Asia.

 

[gorobei]

based on the OP description it's a longan. lychee has a different skin, seed, and flavor.

good luck trying to grow it tho. It comes from the more tropical south east asia areas. you're going to need a lot of consistent heat and humidity. there are some orchards in soCal growing some.

the third member of lychee and longan family is the rambutan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rambutan

 

[jemcam]

It's a lychee. They used to grow them for export to Japan and China where I grew up in central Florida. There weren't many groves, but they did grow them there and they are quite rare in the US.

 

[darkxshade]

I love lychees and longans, so sweet!!!