Fuzhou Lychee Pork with Rice Wine 

Looking for an authentic Chinese pork dish that's bursting with flavor? Try this Fuzhou-style lychee pork 荔枝肉 (li zhi rou) —a sweet and savory dish made with tender pork, red yeast rice, red rice wine, and a tangy homemade sauce. We went a little fusion and added juicy lychees, this classic Chinese pork recipe from Fujian cuisine is a nostalgic taste of tradition.

🍽️ What is Lychee Pork (荔枝肉)?

Lychee pork, or lì zhī ròu (荔枝肉), is a traditional dish from Fuzhou, the capital of China’s Fujian province. Despite its name, this dish isn't always made with lychee fruit—instead, the crispy pork pieces resemble lychees in color and shape after being fried and glazed. The picture below is what we had in Fuzhou!

This dish is not commonly found in Singapore, but it was a staple in my grandmother’s kitchen, and I remember that I loved eating it growing up. Every family has its own variation, but the secret to its rich, aromatic flavor lies in the use of red yeast rice and red rice wine. These traditional ingredients give the pork a beautiful reddish hue and a depth of flavor that's hard to beat.

If you are a visual learner, come check out our Instagram video.

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🧂 Ingredients

For the pork:

• 300g lean pork (cut into bite-sized pieces)

• 2 tbsp Ye Traditions Red Yeast Rice

• 1 tbsp Ye Traditions Rice Wine

• 1 tsp sugar

• Tapioca starch (for coating)

• 1 egg

For frying:

• Oil for shallow frying

• 1 medium potato (peeled and diced)

For the sweet and sour sauce:

• 2 tbsp ketchup

• 2 tbsp plum sauce

• 2 tbsp canned lychee syrup

• 1½ tbsp white vinegar

• 1 tsp soy sauce

• ½ tsp salt

• 4 tbsp water

Final ingredients:

• Canned or fresh lychees (to taste)

🔪 How to Make Fuzhou Lychee Pork

1. Marinate the pork

In a bowl, mix pork with red yeast rice, rice wine, and sugar. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to enhance the flavor.

2. Coat the pork

Mix tapioca starch with 1 egg to create a light batter. Toss the marinated pork until evenly coated.

3. Fry the pork

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Fry the pork until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.

4. Fry the potato

Add diced potato to the same pan and fry until golden and cooked through.

5. Prepare the sweet sauce

In a bowl, whisk together ketchup, plum sauce, lychee syrup, vinegar, soy sauce, salt, and water.

6. Combine everything

Return the pork to the pan with the potatoes. Pour in the sauce and stir-fry until everything is evenly coated and the sauce thickens.

7. Add lychees

Add lychees at the end and gently mix. Let it simmer for 1–2 minutes, then turn off the heat.

Admittedly, ours does not look EXACTLY like the original, but it tastes divine. The complexity of the red rice wine and red yeast rice reminded me of my late grandmother's cooking, and it just feels like home. The additional touch of lychee balanced out the rest of the dish. I would recreate this again!