Longans

“What are these?” the woman on checkout asks me.

“Longans,” I reply, packing my groceries back into the trolley. These are a spontaneous purchase, glimpsed from the corner of my eye and dropped into my cart.

She taptaptaps into her computer. “I can’t find them in here… what did you say they were?”

“Longans. They were next to the lychees.”

“I know what lychees are… I like lychees…” she mutters.

“They cost the same as the lychees, $7.98 a kilo, if that helps.”

“I’ll put them in as lychees then.” And she does. How odd, a store selling something that it doesn’t recognise at the point of sale! Longans, I will get acquainted with you and your mysteries later in the week.

***

Four tan king-sized marbles, patterned with faint tortoise-shell markings. They’re light in my hand, almost as if they’re not there.

Sitting down at the table, taking one between my fingers. Squeeze. One side is soft, one side the skin feels tough and firm.

To peel, to peel… Digging my fingernail into the skin. Resistance, then a quiet squirting pop. Shelling like an egg until I make a decent hole. I think it should be able to be pulled through, but I’m scared of squashing it… and it’s free!

From the plate it looks like a white-grey glistening ball, smooth and once piece. Holding it near there are fine segment lines. Moist.

Nibbling. Lightly sweet, watery. Texture firmer than mangosteen but similar in the gentle taste. Pleasant. Like eating natural jelly.

The layer of flesh is surprisingly shallow; the stone is sudden and beautiful. An off-kilter black jewel sphere, so smooth the light above makes pin points on the surface. Amazing that something this lovely was so cleverly hidden beneath a translucent cocoon.

Peeling the other three, enjoying the gift-wrapping of black in translucent in brown, cheered each time the black seed comes into sight.

Rating:

Specifics: Longans bought from Coles in Macquarie Fields