Tonic Drinks & Waters
Lychee Sweet Wine
Traditionally associated with nourishing blood and supporting a rosy complexion
Why people make this wine
Lychee season is short, so Bro Niu likes to put up a few bottles while the fruit is still around. After two or three months of steeping, the wine turns fragrant and mellow — a lovely gift to share with family and friends. In Chinese food tradition, lychee flesh steeped in wine is associated with warming the middle, lifting the energy, and gently nourishing the blood for a rosier complexion.
Who it suits / who should be cautious
- Traditionally favoured by people who tend to feel cold in the body and limbs, who are pale or low on energy, or who have a weaker heart and lung constitution; a small cup is associated with supporting circulation.
- Not for children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, anyone with alcohol sensitivity, or those who have been told to avoid alcohol. Drink only in small amounts.
Why these ingredients (the food-therapy logic)
- Lychee (li zhi): A warming, sweet fruit traditionally used to warm the middle and support the blood.
- Osmanthus aged wine (gui hua chen jiu): Carries a lovely osmanthus fragrance that pairs beautifully with lychee and acts as the steeping base.
- Rock sugar (bing tang): Rounds out the flavour and helps the infusion mellow.
Ingredients (about 1 large bottle)
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Fresh lychees | About 1.2 kg (2 catties) | Peeled and pitted |
| Osmanthus aged wine | 1 bottle | Rice wine or Japanese sake also work |
| Rock sugar | 1 cup | Or substitute ready syrup (about half a bottle per bottle of wine) |
| Distilled water | Half a cup | To dissolve the sugar |
Method
- Gently simmer the rock sugar with the distilled water over low heat until dissolved, then let it cool.
- Peel and pit the lychees. (You may rinse the flesh briefly with distilled water and drain well.)
- Place the lychee flesh in a clean glass jar.
- Pour in the osmanthus wine and the cooled sugar water.
- Store in a cool, dark place for about 3 months before drinking.
Bro Niu’s tips
You can use rice wine or Japanese sake as the steeping spirit. Osmanthus aged wine has a fragrant floral note that suits lychee especially well. If you skip the rock-sugar syrup, ready-made syrup works too — roughly half a bottle of syrup per bottle of wine. Beyond sipping it on its own, this wine is lovely splashed into dishes with meat, prawns, or shellfish.
Community questions answered (selected)
- Q (Win win): My lychee wine has been steeping for a month, but the lychees are still floating — is something wrong? Bro Niu: When I made mine the lychees sank, so that is curious. But as long as there is no off smell and no mould, it is fine to use.
Published July 7, 2010 · Adapted and translated for Nourilo from a traditional home-kitchen recipe. Approx. 2 min read.
