荔枝在中国自古有之，最早在战国时期，就有人食用荔枝，而外国却是在16世纪之后，从中国出口到国外的荔枝。而荔枝的英文名字，其实正是套取了我国荔枝的谐音，在《大中华帝国史》中有记载：

They haue a kinde of plummes, that they doo call lechias, that are of an exceeding gallant tast, and neuer hurteth any body, although they shoulde eate a great number of them.