Here in Southwest Florida, it is now mid lychee season. At this point, Hak Ip / Sweethearts are still on the trees but nearing the end of their harvest. Kaimanas are at their peak. Brewsters are just starting to be harvested. Emperors grown at a different local farm 5 days ago were noticeably sour and not really edible.
Today I just purchased what the seller said were Emperor lychees. However, they don't look like the trees / leaves or fruits that I remember. I seem to remember larger fruit, redder fruit, and much smaller leaves on the trees. And I seem to remember that Emperors are a late season lychee. '
The tree is on the property that was owned by a former president of the Manatee Rare Fruit Council. There are other lychee trees also present on the property: Sweet Cliff, Brewster, and Kwai Mai Pink.
The "emperors" I purchased today are fully ripe here at mid season. Not sour or early picked. They are somewhat smaller than Hak Ip / Sweethearts, but larger than Kwai Mai Pinks or Brewsters.
They have a medium sized seed. The flesh to seed ratio is good (similar to the flesh: seed ratio found in a Mauritius). The flesh is sweet, somewhat mild flavored, and does not seem to have the floral taste that Hak Ips / Sweethearts or Kwai Mai Pinks do. The flesh is a bit firmer than Hak Ips, but otherwise similar type of flesh. It is definitlely a softer flesh than Kwai Mai Pinks. The outer flesh is wet, but not as drippy wet as Hak Ip / Sweethearts.
The tree size is medium to large.
The trees tend to bear heavily one year, and take the next year off.
The skin is very rough, almost sharp. The skin is a pinkish red with some light spots of yellow.
Is this really Emperor?
Thanks,
Brad