Wikipedia Article About Longan on Wikipedia The longan (Simplified Chinese: 龙眼; Traditional Chinese: 龍眼; Hanyu Pinyin: lóngyǎn; Cantonese long-ngan; Vietnamese long nhãn - literally "dragon eye") is an evergreen tree native to southeast Asia from southern China south to Indonesia. The fruit is edible, and is often used in East Asian soups, snacks, desserts, and sweet-and-sour foods. They are round with a thin, brown-coloured inedible shell. The flesh of the fruit, which surrounds a big, black seed, is white, soft, and juicy.