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With the heat rising with every passing day, so does our craving for cool drinks (冷饮, lěng yǐn) and healthy fruits (水果, shuǐ guǒ) to keep us hydrated and feeling refreshed. With that in mind, we've compiled five of our favorite seasonal fruits to look out for at markets right now.
Lychee (荔枝, lì zhī)
Lychees, native to China, are a pinkish-red fruit with a rough but easy-to-peel skin. Inside you'll find plump, juicy flesh (果肉, guǒ ròu) with a distinctive and very fragrant (芳香的, fāng xiāng de) flavor. Yang Yuhuan (杨玉环, yáng yù huán), one of the Four Beauties in ancient China (中国古代四大美人, zhōng guó gǔ dài sì dà měi rén) and the favorite concubine (妃子, fēi zi) of Emperor Tang Xuanzong (唐玄宗, táng xuán zōng), was renowned to be a big fan of lychees, as immortalized in a Tang-dynasty poem (唐诗, táng shī) describing how the emperor had the southern fruit transported up north just to please (取悦, qǔ yuè) his lover. It is said that Yang's fair complexion (肤色白皙, fū sè bái xī) was in part thanks to all the lychees she ate, and many women still eat the fruit today in the hope of acquiring the same alluring glow.
History aside, lychees are delicious and do in fact have plenty of health benefits, including for your skin, as they are packed with nutrients (营养物, yíng yǎng wù) such as vitamin (维生素, wéi shēng sù) C, vitamin B6, and folate (叶酸, yè suān). They are also a great source of dietary fiber (膳食纤维, shàn shí xiān wéi) and protein (蛋白质, dàn bái zhì), helping to increase blood circulation (血液循环, xuè yè xún huán) and lessen digestive (消化, xiāo huà) issues.
Yumberry (杨梅, yáng méi)
Yumberries – also known as waxberries or bayberries – make for a compact snack thanks to the fact you can pop them in your mouth and chew around the pip (籽, zǐ). Yumberries strike a refreshing balance between sweetness and tartness (酸味, suān wèi) which can be amplified by putting them in the freezer (冰箱, bīng xiāng) and eating them frozen. Darker colored (深色的, shēn sè de) berries are considered to be more flavorful (可口, kě kǒu) and nutritious.
Rich in antioxidants (抗氧化物质, kàng yǎng huà wù zhì) like vitamin C and various organic acids, yumberries help reduce blood pressure and is especially effective (有效的, yǒu xiào de) for relieving stomach problems (胃病, wèi bìng) as they help with digestion (助消化, zhù xiāo huà). Another great use of yumberry is to make delicious yumberry wine (杨梅酒, yáng méi jiǔ).
Loquat (枇杷, pí pa)
Loquats resemble something like if you spliced an apricot (杏, xìng) with a mango (芒果, máng guǒ). Loquats are low in cholesterol (胆固醇, dǎn gù chún) and calories (热量, rè liàng) and high in expectorant substances (化痰, huà tán), therefore frequently used to make a medical syrup (枇杷膏, pí pá gāo)to treat respiratory infections (呼吸道感染, hū xī dào gǎn rǎn).
Muskmelon (甜瓜, tián guā)
There's no better than whiling away (消磨, xiāo mó) the summer hours (夏日时光, xià rì shí guāng) lazing outside and munching on slices of melon. During this time of year, we'd recommend muskmelons (also known as sweet melons)in particular. Though the Beijing variety is most often green and squat, muskmelons come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes and have a rich flavor, lush fragrance, and low calory count. If you peel off the skin and discard the seeds (去籽, qù zǐ), muskmelons are also great for juicing (榨汁, zhà zhī).
Raspberry (覆盆子, fù pén zǐ)
As one of the world's most popular berries, raspberries are available year-round (全年, quán nián) in the markets, but they are freshest and most plentiful in June. This wonderfully delicious berry goes great on the top of your morning smoothies or simply served with fresh yogurt (酸奶, suān nǎi) for a healthy afternoon snack (零食, líng shí). They are also nutrient-dense (营养丰富, yíng yǎng fēng fù) and especially rich in dietary fiber and antioxidants. Like yumberries above, raspberries are also delicious when eaten frozen.
来源：The Beijinger
编辑：万月英
