Best Tinned Longan in the UK (2026)

Tinned longan is one of the easiest ways to keep this fragrant Southeast Asian fruit in a UK cupboard without relying on fresh longan being available. The peeled fruit is usually preserved whole in syrup and can be served chilled, added to fruit salads, spooned over desserts or used in drinks.

Most UK options come from Thai brands and use a very similar 565g can format. The practical buying differences are fruit proportion, syrup ingredients, stock availability and whether you want a familiar brand or simply the closest equivalent available from your usual Asian grocery retailer.

Quick picks

• Best overall: Aroy-D Longan in Syrup 565g
• Best alternative: Twin Elephants Longan in Syrup 565g
• Best for straightforward substitution: X.O Longan in Syrup 565g

How we judged these tinned longans

Longan is a relatively specialised tinned-fruit category, so relevance matters more than creating artificial differences between brands. We focused on features that genuinely affect how useful the fruit will be in a UK kitchen.

• Fruit proportion: the headline can weight includes syrup, so the amount of actual longan matters.
• Whole-fruit format: intact peeled longan is easier to serve attractively in desserts and fruit salads.
• Syrup: a straightforward sugar syrup allows the fruit either to be drained or served with some of the liquid.
• Pack size: 565g is the common imported format and provides several portions.
• Versatility: we considered chilled desserts, fruit bowls, yoghurt, ice cream and drinks.
• Availability: imported fruit can move in and out of stock, so a good alternative should be easy to substitute.

Ranked picks

1. Aroy-D Longan in Syrup 565g

Best for: most shoppers wanting a straightforward tin of whole longan in syrup.

Aroy-D Longan in Syrup comes in a 565g can and contains longan, water, sugar and citric acid. The fruit accounts for around 40.7 percent of the product, which is useful to know because the rest of the stated weight includes the preserving syrup.

• The 565g format provides enough fruit for several dessert portions.
• Whole longans work particularly well when presentation matters in a fruit bowl or chilled dessert.
• The simple syrup format lets you drain the fruit completely or retain some liquid for serving.

Trade-off: less than half of the total can weight is fruit, so a single 565g tin may provide less usable longan than the headline weight initially suggests.

How to use: chill before serving if preferred, drain for fruit salad, spoon over yoghurt or ice cream, or add the fruit and a little syrup to cold drinks.

Substitution: another 565g Thai longan in syrup is the closest replacement when Aroy-D is unavailable.

2. Twin Elephants Longan in Syrup 565g

Best for: shoppers who already buy Asian pantry products from specialist UK grocery shops.

Twin Elephants Longan in Syrup uses the same familiar 565g can size and is another genuine Thai-style preserved longan product. Its ingredients centre on longan, water, sugar and citric acid, making it very close to Aroy-D in practical kitchen use.

• The standard can size makes it easy to substitute into recipes written around imported tinned longan.
• The whole preserved fruit is suitable for chilled desserts, drinks and mixed fruit bowls.
• It provides a sensible alternative when retailer stock rather than brand preference determines what you can buy.

Trade-off: there is little reason to choose this specifically over another genuine 565g longan unless you prefer the brand or find it more readily available.

How to use: drain for fruit salads and puddings, or keep a little syrup when adding the longan to drinks and ice cream desserts.

Substitution: Aroy-D provides an almost identical pantry role when Twin Elephants is out of stock.

3. X.O Longan in Syrup 565g

Best for: shoppers who want another standard-size option from a specialist Thai food retailer.

X.O Longan in Syrup is another 565g preserved-fruit option sold through UK Thai grocery channels. Its main advantage is not a radically different fruit format but simply giving shoppers another appropriate choice when imported stock changes.

• The familiar 565g can works for the same dessert and drink uses as competing brands.
• It provides genuine longan rather than substituting lychee or another similar-looking tropical fruit.
• It gives shoppers greater flexibility when their preferred Asian supermarket changes brands.

Trade-off: specialist imported brands can have variable UK stock levels, so repeat availability may be less predictable.

How to use: serve chilled, add to a tropical fruit salad, combine with shaved ice or spoon into sweet drinks.

Substitution: another whole longan in syrup of a similar can size is preferable to changing to a different fruit.

Longan vs lychee

Longan and lychee are closely related tropical fruits and can look quite similar once peeled. Both have pale translucent flesh and are commonly sold in syrup, which makes canned versions easy to confuse at first glance.

The flavour is not identical. Longan tends to have its own distinctive sweet and aromatic character, so lychee is best regarded as a practical substitution rather than an exact replacement.

If a recipe specifically asks for longan, choose a genuine longan product where possible. For a mixed tropical fruit dessert where exact flavour matters less, canned lychee can work when longan is unavailable.

How to choose tinned longan

Start with the fruit percentage or drained weight where available. The syrup contributes substantially to the total weight of a 565g tin, so the headline figure should not be read as the amount of usable fruit.

Whole fruit is usually the most versatile format. You can serve it intact, halve it for a fruit salad or blend it if a recipe requires a smoother result.

Consider sweetness as well. Syrup-packed longan works naturally in desserts and sweet drinks, but draining it thoroughly gives you greater control when the other ingredients already contain sugar.

Finally, be flexible about brands. Aroy-D, Twin Elephants and X.O occupy a similar part of the market, so a genuine 565g longan in syrup is usually a sensible substitute when your normal choice is unavailable.

Which tinned longan suits your kitchen?

For a first purchase: Aroy-D is the clearest starting point because the fruit proportion and ingredient format are straightforward.

For fruit salad: any whole longan in syrup works well after draining.

For desserts: keep a little syrup when serving the fruit with ice cream or chilled puddings.

For drinks: both the fruit and a measured amount of syrup can be used depending on the sweetness you want.

FAQs

Can you buy tinned longan in the UK?

Yes. It is commonly sold through Thai, Chinese and other Asian grocery retailers, usually in 565g cans of fruit in syrup.

What does longan taste like?

Longan has a sweet, fragrant tropical flavour. Syrup-packed versions are noticeably sweeter than plain fresh fruit.

Can I eat tinned longan without cooking it?

It is sold as ready-to-eat preserved fruit. Serve it according to the product instructions, either drained or with some of the syrup.

Can longan be used in fruit salad?

Yes. Drain the whole fruit and combine it with other tropical fruits such as pineapple, mango or lychee.

Is longan the same as lychee?

No. They are related fruits with some similarities in appearance and texture, but their flavours differ.

Why is there so much syrup in the tin?

The syrup is the preserving liquid and contributes to the stated net weight. Look for fruit percentage or drained weight when comparing how much longan you are actually buying.

Conclusion

Aroy-D Longan in Syrup 565g is the strongest all-purpose choice because its fruit proportion and simple format are easy to understand. Twin Elephants and X.O are sensible alternatives when imported stock changes.

For most shoppers, the important checks are fruit quantity, syrup and availability rather than small brand differences. A genuine 565g whole longan in syrup is the most practical format for desserts, drinks and trying the fruit at home.