The market · Fruit · East Asia, Southeast Asia

Lychees

A thin, rough red shell around translucent white flesh that smells of roses.

floral · perfumed · sweet
Lychees

What to do with it

Ibu Sari's Beef rendangLychee would cut through its richnessAna Etxarri's Pil pilLychee would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's SuyaLychee would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's Rendang, the Lagos wayLychee would cut through its richness

Goes with

limecoconut milkrose waterginger

Knowing it

Where to buy
Heavy fruit with red rather than brown shells. Tinned ones keep the perfume well.
A little history
The story goes that a Tang emperor had them rushed by relay riders from the south for his consort, Yang Guifei.

More fruit, in season with it

FruitApricotshoneyed, floral, tartsoursweetNot cooked here yetFruitBlackcurrantstart, berry-like, muskysourNot cooked here yetFruitCherriessweet, almondysoursweetNot cooked here yetFruitGooseberriessour, grassy, floralsourNot cooked here yet