Isiqhamo iLitshi okanye ‘lychee’ kuba sibizwa (iLitshi chinensis) sesemimandla enobushushu yase Mzantsi-Mpuma wase China kwaye yalinywa phaya ukusuka ngo 2000 A.D. Iziqhamo zikhula zizicuku ezingadibenanga kwimithi enengcambu ese zantsi, ekhula kade ehlala iluhlaza yaka ekhula phakathi ko 9 ukuya ku 30 m ubude ukujonga phezulu. Imithi ingqukumba phezulu kwaye ibanzi kanje ngobude bayo.
Iziqhamo zingaba bomvu okwe strawubheri, pinki, okanye upinki-omdaka ngombala xa sele zivuthiwe, ubume obumbhoxo, oku kwentliziyo okanye phantse ukuba ngqukuva ngobume. Isiqhamo selitshi saziwa njenge midumba. Isikhumba esi switi, esinevumba igqunywe ngesikhumba esixobuleka lula esibhityileyo. Isikhuma sifana nofele kwaye sirhabaxa. Ipete ye litshi ingaba mbhoxo okanye mtyibilizi kwaye ibubume obufana ‘nolwimi lenkukhu’.
I-litshi izalana ne rambutan ne longan, iziqhamo ezimbini ezifanayo ngesikhumba, ixhaphakile kwelase Asia. I-rambutan igqunywe ngemigca ebomvu nehlaza kwaye inencasa eswiti ye krimu ngexesha yona ilongan (‘isiqhamo esilimehlo le dragon’) sinesikhumba esimbala mdaka esimpuluswa nencasa emuncu kancinci.
Ukulinywa Kwe Litshi
Ilizwe lase China lihamba phambili kwimveliso ye litshi, ngexesha uMzantsi Afrika ulilizwe elincinci kwimveliso kodwa elibalulekileyo kwi Southern Hemisphere. Intengiso ye Litshi eMzantsi Afrika yakhelwe phezu kwezilimo ezimbalwa ezijonge kwixesha lincinci lmveliso - ukusuka phakathi ku Okthoba ukuya ku Februwari – ze yonyuke ngo Disemba.
Imithi ye litshi mikhulu kwaye ihlala iluhlaza yaka kwaye ithanda indawo ezinesimo sezulu ezifumileyo ezishushu ezinomhlaba ohluzekileyo one asidi eyaneleyo. Sisiqhamo esivelisa kakhulu, oko kuthetha okokuba ivelisa isivuno esikhulu ngonyaka omnye, ze kolandelayo sibencinci.
Imisebenzi Ye Litshi
Kulula ukuxobula isiqhamo ilitshi, kwaye ipete iphuma lula kwesisiqhamo si switi, sinuka kamnandi, sinesikhumba esibonakalayo. Eziziqhamo zimnandi zine sondlo zincinci zityiwa zinjalo, zingamfaxangwa, kwenziwe ijem, iilekese okanye zinkonxwe. Kodwa ke esisiqhamo sidume ngoku phulukana nevumba elimnandi xa sinkonxiwe.
Isiselo esimfaxangiweyo se Litshi sihamba kakuhle ne orenji ne lamuni emfaxangiweyo kodwa kufuneka isetyenziswe kwangoko. Ukuze wongeze ixesha ehlala ngalo isiselo se litshi kufuneka usebenzise izigcini ezifana ne potassium meta-bisulphate zingakwazi ukusetyenziswa. Kungenziwa isiselo esimfaxangiweyo selitshi ngoku kusetyenziswa impuphu yayo, ivundiswe nge yisti yomdiliya omfaxangiweyo onxilisayo ukuze inikeze isiselo esimnandi esimfaxangiweyo. Kufumaneka malunga no 11% wezinga lotywala elinxilisayo kunye nefumba elimnandi okwentyatyambo. Ilitshi ezixotyuliweyo zinga khenkceziswa ziphelele, nopete okanye ngaphandle kopete, ukugcina incasa yayo. Iziqhamo zinga khenkceziswa ziyincindi kwaye zingahlala zikwi simo esilungileyo iinyanga ezilishumi nambini (12) xa zipholisiwe zagcinwa ku-25°C.
I-litshi Ezomisiweyo
Ilitshi zingomiswa nazo kodwa oko kwenziwa kwisikali sentengiso eMzantsi Afrika. Ukufuna kwayo kuyalahleka koku, kodwa zonke izinongo ziyalahleka. Ngelixesha, isikhumba siyaqina kodwa siyabugcina ubume nombala ngenxa yokufakwa sulphur dioxide. I-Sulphur dioxide iphuhlisa nemigqobho kwisikhumba kwaye yenza gcono indima yokuyomisa. Isikhumba, kunjalo siyashwabana. Malunga ne 4.5 kg yelitshi esalungileyo ivelisa i-1kg yelitshi eyomileyo. Ilitshi eyomisiweyo ihlala iinyanga ezintandathu.
Ukugcina IiLitshi Ezisandula Kukhiwa
Ii-litshi ezisandula kukhiwa zingagcinwa ngokuthi kugcinwe iziqhamo ezixotyuliweyo kuma 30% womxube we saline – gcina lendawo imhlophe ingqunge isiqhamo. Emveni kwe yure, susa isiqhamo kulo mxube ususe nalendawo imhlophe ingqongileyo. Kwinkcubeko yase Asia, ingakumbi kwinkolo yama China, akholelwa okokuba ukususa landawo imhlophe ingqonge ilitshi kuzokohlisa ‘umlilo’. Kule meko, ‘umlilo’ umele enye yezinto ezintlanu ezibalulekileyo ebomini zendalo. Umlilo ubonakalisa amandla akhoyo, kunye nokukhanya kuka moya. Ukongeza, ‘umlilo’ ungabonwa njengokuba nomkhuhlane, ukungakwazi ukulala, iintloko kunye nokunxanwa. Bacebiswa okokuba kuqala ulume kancinci kwinyama okanye ungcamle isuphu yenyama phambi kokuba utye ilitshi ‘ukwehlisa umlilo’. Elinye icebiso lelokuba ubani angatyi iilitshi ezilishumi (10) ngaxesha nye.
Inzuzo Ye Litshi
Ii-litshi ziphezulu ekukhuseleni umzimba kwizifo, vitamin B2, (riboflavin), potassium ne copper. Kuqikelelwa okokuba iilitshi ezisibhozo zilingana no vitamin C we orenji enye eyenza ama 100% ofunekayo ngemini kumntu omdala yonke imihla.
Iitshi zine hypoglycin ehlisa amazinga oxinzelelo lwegazi. Ingaba nobungozi xa ilitshi engekavuthwa ityiwe kwisisu esingenanto. Ilitshi zityebile kwi polyphenols (antioxidants) ezizikhuseli mzimba kwizifo, kuquka proanthocyanidins. Ezintwana-ntwana zinganceda ukuthintela isifo somhlaza okanye umdlavuza kunye nesifo sentliziyo.
Translated by Zikhona Plaatjie