Exotic fruits you'll love

This small knobbly root usually has a thick outer skin which is peeled before eaten, although some varieties are smooth, making them easier to prepare. The colours can range from white to tan and red to purple.

When it was first taken to Europe in the 17th century, it was used mainly in sweet dishes. Now, it is treated like a vegetable or peeled and eaten raw in salads. While rich in carbohydrate, Jerusalem artichokes also contain a substance called inulin, which is difficult to digest, giving the Jerusalem artichoke the reputation of causing wind.

Recipe: Jerusalem Artichoke Soup

Lychee
Native to China and Southeast Asia, where they have been considered a delicacy for centuries, lychees are best known in western countries as a dessert offered after a Chinese meal.

They're approximately 3cm in diameter and have a thin, brittle outer skin which ranges in colour from pink to red to brown (the pinker the skin, the sweeter the taste). Peel away the skin and you find a juicy edible pulp surrounding a large, black, shiny seed. The creamy white flesh is delicately scented and said to taste similar to the muscat grape.

Other relatives of the lychee sometimes available in supermarkets in the UK are Longans and Rambutans, considered to be less delicate and less sweet than the more popular lychee.

Recipes:
Exotic Fruit Salad
Lychee Martini

Over the page: Papaya, persimmon and physalis