Today it grows throughout southeast Asia, notably in southern Japan, India, Pakistan, north Thailand and Vietnam. More recently, the tasty fruit has been planted in California, Florida and Hawaii, ensuring U.S. fans a more reliable supply. Depending on location, the harvest runs from May through September.

We’ve been coming across it in farmers markets: the skin of different varieties ranges from rosy red to pale dusty rose to golden tan and pale olive green. The paper-thin skin is peeled away to revel the milky white fruit inside. Here’s everything you’d ever want to know about lychee from Purdue School of Agriculture, including how to dry them in the skin.

The fruit is also transliterated as litchi. Perhaps the more useful information, though, is how to pronounce lychee.

The typical lychee is about one inch in diameter. The outer covering is a pink-red, roughly-textured rind that is inedible but easily peeled with one’s fingers. The flesh inside is white, translucent and sweet, rich in vitamin C, with a texture somewhat similar to that of a grape. Children liken lychees to “eyeballs,” and you can see why in this photo.

The fresh fruit has a floral aroma; one account says that the perfume is lost in the process of canning. However, canning adds sugar for a higher level of sweetness, and the organoleptic difference between fresh and canned lychee is not as drastic as, say, with peaches. The canned fruit has more integrity, like canned pineapple.

BUYING & STORING LYCHEES

Lychees are extremely perishable. Store in a perforated plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week.

Or, freeze them whole, with the skin on. When they are defrosted, they’ll be fine. You can even eat them frozen: instant lychee sorbet. (You may have to run the frozen lychees under warm water for a few seconds to soften the skin.)
 
In China, lychees are enjoyed out-of-hand. In the West, peeled and pitted, they are used in:

 
For an exotic presentation, serve unpeeled lychees in dessert bowls over crushed ice (provide a bowl for the pits).
 
LYCHEE RECIPES

 
There are dozens of recipes at LycheesOnline.com.
 
LOVE THE FLAVOR OF LYCHEE?

We find that St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur tastes like lychee (or perhaps it’s that elderflowers taste like lychee). We find it far superior to Soho lychee liqueur.

Head out to find fresh lychees. Enjoy them today, and freeze some for later.

You can make this recipe with frozen or canned corn, but the idea here is to head to the farm stand and buy fresh corn. Save the canned and frozen options for the rest of the year.

Corn is a whole grain, and edamame, fresh green soybeans, are high in protein and fiber. You can find them in the frozen section of supermarkets. Buy them shelled to save time.

Prep time is 20 minutes, cook time is 5 minutes. You can substitute beans, peas or diced avocado for the edamame.
 
 
RECIPE: EDAMAME & CORN SALAD

Ingredients For 10 2/3 Cup Servings

 
Preparation

1. BRING 2 quarts water to boil in medium saucepan on high heat. Add edamame; cook 4 minutes or until edamame are bright green and tender. Drain and rinse under cold water.

2. MAKE the vinaigrette. Mix all ingredients in large bowl until well blended.

3. ADD the edamame, corn, red bell pepper, green onions and parsley; toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour to blend flavors. Toss before serving.
 
Variations

Enjoy this recipe as a side dish. We also used it to top burgers and franks. The second time we made it, we added a bit of crushed red pepper heat.

You can use it as the base of a luncheon salad by adding cubed proteins (chicken, grilled tofu, ham, etc.) We cut up a leftover pork chop.
 
  

But, this olive oil and basil cake (also made by the restaurant in an olive oil and rosemary version) was love at first bite. The extra virgin olive oil—not canola or corn oil—donated wonderful flavor. And while cake isn’t exactly a good-for-you food, heart-healthy olive oil instead of cholesterol-laden butter was an excuse to have another piece. (Note, however, that this particular recipe does include some butter.)

Use a fruity EVOO, not a peppery or grassy one. Fruity means that it tastes olive-y (see the different flavors of olive oil).

You can make the tangerine marmalade to top the cake, enjoy the cake plain, or serve with berries and a dab of mascarpone or crème fraîche. By all means, add a chiffonade of fresh basil.

The nine-inch cake serves eight.

This recipe, by Sarah Copeland, is from The Newlywed Cookbook.

RECIPE: OLIVE OIL CAKE WITH LEMON, ORANGE OR TANGERINE

Ingredients

It’s not hard to make this delicious olive oil cake (photo © Chronicle Books).

 
For The Tangerine Marmalade

 
For The Garnish

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F/165°C/gas 3. Lightly butter a 9-inch/23-cm springform pan with a removable bottom.

2. COMBINE the eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on high speed until the eggs are thick and pale yellow, about 3 minutes. Drizzle in the olive oil and melted butter and continue to beat. Fold in the citrus zest and juice.

3. WHISK together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add the dry ingredients gradually to the egg mixture and stir until evenly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure there are no dry bits at the bottom.

4. POUR the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the top is lightly brown, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes, rotating once during baking to make sure it cooks evenly. Cool the cake on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the pan sides and cool the cake completely on the rack.

6. COOK the fruit over medium-high heat until the liquid comes to a boil. Decrease the heat slightly and simmer until the tangerine peel is soft, about 20 minutes. Don’t stir: It will destroy the pretty round shape of the citrus.

7. ADD the sugar and continue cooking until the sugar is dissolved. Cook until thickened and the juice has gelled slightly and is syrupy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

8. ARRANGE the candied citrus slices over the top of the cake, overlapping to make beautiful jeweled tiles of fruit. Drizzle some of the citrus syrup over the slices and allow it to drip down the sides of the cake. Slice and serve with crème fraîche or whipped cream/double cream.

What to look for in farmers’ markets and specialty produce stores: striped tiger figs. Or, buy them from Melissas.com.

The Tiger Fig (also called Tiger Stripe fig and Candy Stripe fig) is prized as one of the most flavorful varieties in the marketplace. It is a light yellow, small to medium, pear-shaped fig with unique dark green stripes and crimson red interior fruit. It was bred in 1668, probably from a mutation.

When fully ripe the fruit has a high sugar content and rich, jam-like texture and consistency. This taste yields a hint of strawberry or raspberry jam.

You can eat it out of hand, dry it or make preserves. But something this special looking deserves to be showcased as a dessert or cheese course.

 
Have a green thumb? Live in the right climate (zones 5-9)? Plant your own tiger fig trees.
 
 
RECIPE: FRESH FIG COMPOTE

If the figs are very sweet, you may need only a scant amount of sweetener. You can use the compote as a bread spread and a condiment with sweet or savory foods.

Ingredients For 2/3 Cup

 
Preparation

1. REMOVE the stems from cleaned figs and cut into quarters. Place figs, sweetener, water and cinnamon in a small saucepan over low heat.

2. COOK for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in butter.

3. PULSE, using an immersion blender or food processor, until desired consistency is reached. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
 
 
FIG FACTS

Figs do not ripen off the tree, so buy those that are soft to the touch. The skin around stem should have begun to twist and wrinkle.

Along with olives and grapes, figs are believed to be among the first fruits cultivated by man. Native to Western Asia (the Middle East and the Near East), Ficus carica has been cultivated for more than 5,000 years.

[1] Sweet tiger fig (photo © Melissa’s.

[2] A frisée salad topped with fresh figs (photo courtesy SXC).

[3] Fresh fig crostini. Here’s the recipe (photo © Fig & Olive | Facebook).

Figs, including the turkey fig, are grown in southern California. Turkey leads the world in fig production.

They call it the S’alternative Choice. It’s lemon juice, an excellent substitute for salt.

The average American consumes twice the amount of recommended sodium daily. Uh oh.

Even if you’re in great shape now, as you hit middle age, the excess sodium can create serious problems.

While much of the salt we consume is in prepared and processed foods, you can reduce the salt in recipes—including proteins, grains, soups, salads, rubs and seasoning mixes—up to 75% without compromising flavor.

Sunkist commissioned a study at Johnson & Wales University to explore how to reduce salt with citrus. Global Master Chef Karl Guggenmos worked with Sunkist to develop what they call the “optimal blend”:

In everyday cooking, use 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon zest before/during cooking. Finish cooked food with 2-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice.

Here are other ways to substitute for salt:

The 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the USDA Center For Nutrition Policy And Promotion recommend that Americans consume less than:

 
How much sodium is in your daily diet? You’d be shocked. For just one day, write down everything you eat. Packaged foods will have the sodium on the nutrition label; you can look up other foods online.

Excessive sodium intake has been linked to health problems such as high blood pressure, cancer and osteoporosis. According to a 2010 study by Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, PhD, MD, MAS, director of the University of California Center for Vulnerable Populations at San Francisco General Hospital:

If every American reduced his or her daily sodium intake by 400 milligrams, 32,000 heart attacks, 20,000 strokes and 28,000 deaths could be prevented each year.

This is not just a warning for adults: The habits kids develop for stay with them for life.

Get the facts on sodium, learn helpful tips and discover healthy the alternatives. Visit SunkistSalternative.com.