Chinese spices are more than flavor enhancers—they are a bridge between history, health, and culinary artistry. From the misty hills of Guangxi to bustling global kitchens, these spices continue to captivate palates and drive economies.
Figs are soft, sweet fruits, full of small seeds, and they’re a great source of fiber. Ripe figs do not keep or travel very well, so they are often eaten dried. Fresh figs are delicious as a snack, especially with Greek yoghurt and a drizzle of honey. Jams and chutneys are often made from figs.
Butternut squash is a large and pear-shaped fruit with a golden-brown to yellow skin. Because it contains seeds, it is actually a fruit rather than a vegetable. The flesh is soft and sweet. It can be roasted, pureed, mashed or used in soups or casseroles. It’s a good source of beta-carotene.
This citrus fruit is the smallest of the tangerines. The skin of clementines can be peeled away easily and the segments don’t contain pips, which makes them a lot less messy to eat than some other varieties. Citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C.
These fruits come from the date palm tree and grow abundantly in Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, California and Iran. Dried dates make a super-sweet snack and are full of fiber. They can be chopped and sprinkled on cereal or baked into a muffin.
These bright yellow fruits grow on trailing vines along the ground. There are thousands of different kinds of melon – they all have a hard outside, which you can’t eat, and a juicy sweet inside that is delicious to eat straight from the fridge on a hot day
Raspberries, with their delicate structure and bold flavor, are a testament to nature’s brilliance. From Polish forests to Pacific Northwest farms, they thrive in temperate climates and elevate both sweet and savory dishes
Cherries, with their fleeting season and burst of flavor, are a treasure of temperate orchards. From Turkey’s vast sour cherry groves to Michigan’s Montmorency fields, they fuel global markets and culinary traditions. Enjoy fresh, baked into a pie, or sipped as juice.
Nectarines, with their glossy skin and juicy flesh, bridge the gap between peaches and plums in flavor and versatility. From California’s orchards to Spain’s sun-drenched groves, they thrive in temperate climates and captivate global markets.
