Lychees
Lychees (pictured above) have a distinctive appearance—rough, bumpy, reddish-pink skin that peels away to reveal translucent, juicy flesh with a single large seed. Here are some fruits that resemble lychees in appearance, texture, or structure:
1. Rambutan
This tropical fruit looks like a wild version of the lychee. It has a similar round shape and juicy white flesh, but its skin is covered in soft, hair-like spines. When peeled, the translucent interior is nearly identical to that of a lychee.
2. Strawberry Tree Fruit
This small, round fruit has a red, bumpy surface that can resemble a lychee’s rough skin from a distance. Though firmer and more grainy inside, its outer look is somewhat lychee-like, especially when fully ripe.
3. Pulasan
Closely related to the rambutan, pulasan has a thick, spiky red shell but with blunter spines. Inside, it reveals juicy, translucent-white flesh that’s almost indistinguishable from lychee — sweet, fragrant, and glossy.
4. Bayberry
This small, round fruit has a deep red to purplish color and a textured, bumpy surface much like a lychee’s rough skin. Its juicy, slightly translucent flesh inside also echoes the look and feel of lychee, though it’s darker in tone.
5. Gac Fruit
Though much larger than a lychee, the gac fruit shares the same spiny, rough outer skin — bright orange-red and covered in small nodules. Its interior, however, is vivid red and very different, but from the outside, it looks like a giant, exaggerated lychee.
6. Korlan
Closely related to the lychee and rambutan, korlan has a reddish, slightly bumpy skin and soft, translucent white flesh inside. It looks and tastes very similar to lychee, though slightly more sour and less fragrant.
7. Madroño (Costa Rican Madroño)
This fruit is small, reddish-orange, and has a rough, pitted skin texture resembling that of a lychee. Inside, it contains soft pulp with a mildly sweet flavor, and the visual structure is similar, though the taste is subtler.
8. Longan
Often called the “dragon’s eye,” this fruit is a close relative of the lychee. Its smooth, tan skin encloses a translucent, juicy pulp with a single black seed — almost identical to a lychee in size, texture, and structure, just a bit less aromatic.