🍽️ Lychee Pork

Sweet-sour pork shaped like lychee.

Lychee Pork is a classic Fuzhou dish and a flagship of Fujian's sweet-sour school. Pork loin is scored in a crosshatch and cut into pieces; when deep-fried, each chunk curls and crisps into the shape of a lychee. It is then tossed with water chestnuts and scallions in a glossy sweet-and-sour glaze. Red, glistening and crisp outside yet tender within, it is balanced by the cool crunch of chestnuts that cuts the richness. The score depth and oil temperature must be precise to get that signature curl. A fixture at Fuzhou feasts and restaurants, its bright color and appetizing tang make it a perennial favorite over rice.