Thai name: Lin-chi
Season: April to June
There was a time when this famous delicacy was mostly imported from China and thus sold at very high prices. Today, however, many litchi orchards have been established in northern Thailand and local prices, while still above those of most other fruits, are not exorbitant. Several varieties of the fruit characterized by a sweet taste with a faint trace of tartness are currently grown, ranging from pinkish to dark red in color. Litchis come on the market fresh between April and June but are always available in cans.
In September 1680, a ship from the French East India Company visited Phuket and left with a full cargo of tin.