Fresh longan (“dragon eye”) is a delicious, sweet, succulent fruit. When dried, however, the fruit transforms into something shrivelled, dark and chewy, with a rich, smoky flavour.It can be eaten out of your hand (like raisins or dried cranberries), but more often it is used for making tong sui (sweet soups) and in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).Like the fresh fruit, dried longan is considered heating, so it should be consumed in moderation; too much can cause insomnia, coughs and nosebleeds.Because of its heating qualities, it is brewed into tonic teas for women who have just given birth and is fed to the elderly.Dried longan is prescribed by TCM practitioners for those who are anaemic. Photo: ShutterstockDried longan is often cooked with bitter medicinal herbs and spices because the fruit’s sweetness makes the other ingredients more palatable.