Berry treasure

Lychee season is just kicking into high gear, but if you have the patience, wait for about two weeks. This juicy, delicious fruit will be even better early next month. Look for lychees with shells that are pliant and red (the colour ranges from pink to deep red; some varieties are tinged with green) and avoid fruit with brown, brittle shells - it will be old and difficult to peel.

Lychees grow in southern China, Taiwan and Asian countries with warm climates. There are several different cultivars - some are sweeter and juicier than others - but it's not easy to tell one variety from the next by just looking at the fruit. Although relatively pricey, no mai chi is one of the best varieties. It's prized for its tiny seeds (some are seedless) - and fruit vendors usually have one cut open to display the seed size.

The season for lychees doesn't last long - it ends rather abruptly at the beginning of August - and many people gorge on the fruit while they can. Restraint is advised, however, because lychees are very yeet hay (heating) and eating too many will cause insomnia, give you a dry cough and make you break out in pimples.