Fujian Lychee Pork (Lizhi Rou)
荔枝肉
Fujian's signature sweet-sour pork — crispy pork pieces shaped to resemble lychees, glazed in a vibrant sweet-sour sauce.
📋 Ingredients
What Is Fujian Lychee Pork (Lizhi Rou)?
💡 Ingredient Notes: Lychee Pork (荔枝肉, lì zhī ròu) is a Fuzhou specialty — pork tenderloin cut and scored to resemble lychee fruits, then fried crispy and glazed in a sweet-sour red sauce. The scoring technique makes the pork curl into round shapes that look like lychees (hence the name). The sauce uses red yeast rice (红曲) for its distinctive color, though modern versions often use ketchup. Sweet, sour, crispy, and visually charming — a beloved Fujian dish for over 200 years.
Ingredients You'll Need
The Pork
- 400g (¾ lb) pork tenderloin
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- Oil for frying
The Sauce
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp red yeast rice powder (optional, for color)
- 1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp water
Add-ins
- 1 can water chestnuts (resemble lychee stones)
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
📝 Instructions
Shape the pork
Cut the tenderloin into 3cm pieces. Score each piece in a crosshatch pattern on one side (about 1cm deep), then cut each piece in half. The scoring makes them curl into lychee shapes when fried.
Coat and fry
Toss pork pieces with egg and cornstarch. Heat oil to 180°C (350°F) and fry until golden and curled (3-4 minutes). The scored side will open up like a lychee.
Make the sauce
In a clean wok, combine ketchup, vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and red yeast rice powder. Bring to a simmer. Add cornstarch slurry to thicken.
Combine
Add the fried pork, water chestnuts, and bell pepper to the sauce. Toss to coat everything evenly. Serve immediately.
💡 Pro Tips
- 💡The crosshatch scoring is key — it creates the lychee shape when fried. Cut about 1cm deep in a grid pattern.
- 💡Red yeast rice gives authentic color — find it at Asian markets. Ketchup is a fine substitute.
- 💡Fry at the right temperature — too low and they won't curl, too high and they burn.
📊 Nutrition Facts
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Does this contain actual lychee? No — the name refers to the shape of the pork pieces, which resemble lychees after frying. Some versions add real lychee fruit for novelty.
