It is four in the afternoon, the air feels thick enough to drink, and you are queuing at the hawker centre dessert stall. You know exactly what you want: something cold, something sweet, with a few longan floating on top. There is a reason that small, honeyed fruit turns up in so many bowls.
Its floral sweetness and soft, juicy bite suit the light, chilled sweets our climate asks for. Fresh fruit brightens grass jelly and sago, the dried kind deepens a warm cheng tng, and both are easy to find all year. You will spot longan in Singaporean dessert stalls, supermarket tins and family kitchens alike.
Longan benefits, fresh and dried
Fresh, the fruit is mostly water, which is part of why a chilled bowl feels so restoring on a hot day. USDA FoodData Central lists longan as a rich source of vitamin C, with a little potassium and fibre too.
Many of the longan benefits people mention come from traditional Chinese food culture, where the fruit is valued as nourishing and warming. Modern research is still early: a 2022 review in Frontiers in Nutrition found antioxidant and immune system activity in compounds from the pulp, mostly in laboratory studies rather than in people. Desserts also add sugar, so enjoy them as a treat, and if you are managing your blood sugar, ask your doctor what suits you.
Fresh or dried? Fresh is juicy, delicate and floral, with translucent flesh you pop from a thin tan shell; it keeps only a few days and belongs in anything cold. Dried is the same flesh turned amber and chewy, with a deep caramel sweetness and much less vitamin C; it keeps for months and belongs in anything simmered. Our guide to the dried kind covers the types you will find.
Five easy desserts to try at home
Each idea serves about four and uses peeled fresh fruit unless stated. To peel, press the shell near the stem until it cracks, squeeze out the flesh and slip out the seed. At the market, choose smooth, unblemished shells with a gentle give when pressed.
Chilled grass jelly
The simplest of them all, and a hawker classic. Cube 300g of black grass jelly (chin chow) into four bowls and share about 150g of the peeled fruit between them. Dissolve 60g of rock sugar in 150ml of hot water with a knotted pandan leaf, spoon a little over each bowl and top with crushed ice. The jelly's gentle bitterness makes the fruit taste even sweeter.
Sago with fresh fruit and ice
Stir 80g of small sago pearls into a large pot of boiling water and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often, until only a tiny white dot remains in each pearl. Cover off the heat for five minutes until clear, then rinse under cold water. Spoon into glasses with the peeled fruit, pour over chilled syrup or a splash of light coconut milk, and add ice. Every spoonful is cool, bouncy and fragrant.
Warm cheng tng
Simmer 30g each of rinsed pearl barley and dried lotus seeds in 1.5 litres of water with two pandan leaves for 30 minutes. Add 10g of soaked, torn white fungus and six dried red dates and simmer for 15 minutes more. Stir in 20g of dried longan and 80g of rock sugar for the final 10 minutes. Serve warm, or chill it and drop in a few fresh pieces just before serving. If you love the dried fruit with red dates, try our longan jujube tea too.
Clear agar jelly
Arrange 200g of the peeled fruit in a shallow mould. Bring 700ml of water and a knotted pandan leaf to the boil, whisk in 6g of agar agar powder and simmer for two minutes, stirring, so it sets properly. Stir in 70g of rock sugar, remove the pandan and pour over the fruit. Chill for an hour, then cut into cubes that wobble and shine like little jewels.
Coconut pudding
Boil 200ml of water, whisk in 4g of agar agar powder and simmer for two minutes. Add 40g of sugar and a pinch of salt, lower the heat and stir in 200ml of coconut milk without letting it boil hard. Stir in 150g of the peeled fruit, pour into small cups and chill for two hours. The salt lifts the coconut and lets the floral sweetness shine.
Questions about longan in Singaporean dessert
Do your fruit hampers include it?
Sometimes. Our hampers are chosen each morning from whatever fresh fruit is at its best, so it joins the selection when it is at its sweetest, but we never promise a specific fruit. If it matters to the person you are sending to, contact us before you send your hamper, and we will do our best.
How should I store the fresh fruit?
Keep it unpeeled in the fridge, in a loosely closed bag so it does not dry out, and enjoy it within a few days while it is at its juiciest. Once peeled, cover it and eat it the same day, or use it straight away in a chilled dessert such as the agar jelly or sago above.
Is a fruit basket a good gift for someone who is recovering?
Yes. Fresh fruit is gentle, easy to share and brightens a hospital room or a quiet home, and our get well soon fruit baskets are chosen with that in mind. Everyone's recovery is different, so if they are on a special diet, they may wish to check with their doctor about what suits them.
Can I send a fruit hamper the same day?
Yes. Send it before 3 pm on a weekday, or 11 am on a Saturday, and it will be at their door the same day. Standard delivery is on us for orders above $75, and our Japanese baskets need one business day to prepare. You will find more answers on our FAQ page.
When fresh longan arrives in a fruit basket
Every morning, our fruit specialists go through the new arrivals and choose the fruit for that day's hampers, so these thin shells only go in when the flesh inside is at its sweetest. We never promise a particular fruit, and each basket is put together just before it leaves us, so it arrives ready for the fridge or a bowl of chilled sago.
The Classic Omakase Fruit Basket holds at least eight seasonal fruits, a generous gift for a family who loves dessert night. The Elegant Bloom Fruit Gift Basket Deluxe brings at least ten varieties and a soft spray of baby's breath, a bright presence beside a hospital bed, and the Premium Omakase Fruit Basket arrives in a cooler bag for festive gatherings. As featured in Honeycombers Singapore, each one is handpicked with care.
Whether it is chilled over grass jelly or simmered into cheng tng, longan tastes best shared at the end of a long, warm day. Browse our Premium Fruit Baskets collection and send one today to someone who deserves something sweet.