Fruits
Lychee in gelato
Lychee (Litchi chinensis) is a fragrant subtropical fruit whose flesh is about 81% water and 15-16% sugar, almost entirely fructose and glucose. In gelato it works mainly as a flavor and anti-freezing (PAC) driver in sorbetti and fruit gelati.
Balancing parameters
Per 100 g of product, verified against independent food-science sources (listed below).
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Total Solids | 19% |
| Water | 81% |
| Sugars | 15.5% |
| Fat | 0.4% |
| MSNF | 0% |
| Protein | 1% |
| POD (sweetening power) | 19 |
| PAC (anti-freezing power) | 29 |
Typical use: 25-40% of the mix as fresh flesh or unsweetened puree in a lychee sorbetto; 15-25% in a dairy-based fruit gelato.
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Open the balancerHow to use it in gelato
Lychee's sugars are almost entirely reducing sugars (roughly equal fructose and glucose, very little sucrose), so it punches well above its weight on anti-freezing power: its PAC coefficient is close to 1.9x its sugar mass, versus 1.0x for sucrose. That means a lychee-heavy sorbetto softens fast and can feel gummy unless you cut total sugar or blend in a lower-PAC sugar like sucrose or a maltodextrin/dextrose balance. Fructose also raises POD (perceived sweetness ~1.2x sucrose), so you can lower total sugar and keep sweetness. Its delicate floral aroma is heat- and oxidation-sensitive, so add puree cold and late, and consider a touch of acidity (lime) or a pinch of salt to lift the flavor, which otherwise reads flat.
Origin & background
Lychee is native to southern China and has been cultivated for over two thousand years. It gained legendary status in the Tang dynasty, when Emperor Xuanzong's consort Yang Guifei so loved fresh lychees that they were rushed north by imperial horse relay. The first known monograph on the fruit, Cai Xiang's Li Chi Pu, was written in 1059 AD.