The Complete Handbook of Longan

Longan (Dimocarpus longan Lour.) is a subtropical fruit with a deceptive simplicity. Beneath its thin, brown shell lies a sweet, translucent aril, but getting that aril to market in a saleable state is a battle against rapid pericarp browning, pulp breakdown, and a short harvest window. This handbook is a practical reference for professionals who handle the fruit at any commercial stage: choosing a cultivar for a new planting, buying an orchard lot, sourcing containers at a wholesale market, or negotiating a forward contract with an exporter.

The text focuses on the operational decisions that determine profit and loss: which cultivars mature when, how to assess 'eating quality' through Brix and acidity, the chemistry of sulfur dioxide fumigation for export, and the temperature and humidity regimes that extend shelf life from three days to three weeks. It covers grading standards used by USDA and major importing countries, common post-harvest diseases, and the diagnostic steps a buyer should take before accepting a shipment.

For the business-minded reader, it provides a realistic map of the value chain—from orchard gate in Thailand and Vietnam to wholesale terminals in North America—including price points, logistics, and opportunities for niche marketing like high-Brix premium fruit or organic certification. It concludes with future trends in breeding, cold-chain technology, and regulation, plus a reference guide to the research institutions and associations that produce the reliable data professionals should rely on.