The world's first longan-lychee hybrid, Cuimi, developed in Guangzhou, will hit the mainland market for trial sales in mid-September, priced at around HK$82 per kilogram.
The new fruit leans closer to a longan in terms of its overall shape and core flavor profile, while its outer skin is covered with the distinctive cracks inherited from the lychee.
With its sugar content reaching 20 percent to 24 percent, the fruit is sweeter, more fragrant, and crisper than standard longans, while offering the smooth, seedless-like texture of a lychee.
According to mainland media, Cuimi is the result of 16 years of scientific research and breakthrough efforts led by Liu Chengming and his team at South China Agricultural University.
To date, Cuimi has been cultivated across more than 3,000 mu of land, spanning Conghua in Guangzhou, Chaozhou, Luzhou in Sichuan, and Dali in Yunnan.
Liu anticipates it will significantly extend the market supply period for fresh fruit, as its yield is double that of traditional Shixia longans and it matures later in the season. Hong Kong consumers will then be able to purchase the fruit on major e-commerce platforms at a highly reasonable price.
