The lychee (Litchi chinensis) is a small subtropical fruit of the soapberry family, instantly known by its bumpy, leathery, rose-red rind and the translucent, jelly-like white flesh inside. Intensely sweet, low in acid and famously perfumed — all rose, citrus and grape — it is eaten fresh out of hand, canned in syrup, and dried into the chewy "lychee nut," and its floral terpene profile makes it a signature note in cocktails and desserts.