Keep an eye open, as things are very seasonal.
Just in the markets in the last few days.
Very small, very round black grapes. These are from the mountains.
They are really sweet, and taste a bit like blackcurrants. They also stain fingers like blackcurrants. Lovely.
Small tree berries, that look like a large blackberry or loganberry. Black in colour. These are spot on at the moment.
Same them at Metro yesterday. I thought they were imported grapes :/
sean1
(82 posts) •
Pipa are appearing as well recently. They are the Orange colored ones that have a short branch still attatched and taste marvelous
"Small tree berries, that look like a large blackberry or loganberry. Black in colour."
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Can't be sure, but I think those are 桑椹 (sang1 shen4) — mulberry. Hard to eat, but worth the trouble.
Paste 桑椹 into Baidu image search and see if we are talking about the same fruit.
Black fruit, easy to eat, local name shang zi, no pips, and just a bit of stalk to throw away.
Yes pipa are on form right now, but seem to be just starting to turn. Grab them while they are still edible.
Mangoes are cheap, perfectly ripe and sweet.
I remember this season is of good and cheap is short.
The best mangoes at the moment are those about the size of your fist, or a bit bigger, that have an almost hooked/reverse curved end.
Yang mei are turning up at the market. Small (about 2cm) round and dark purple, with irregular skin, like thousands of tiny fingers.
This is another seasonal fruit that locals go nuts over.
Very ripe ones suffer from insects. I was told to not eat them raw but cover with water, add crystal sugar (to taste, I use about 1 heaped tsp/cup water), boil for 5-10 mins and let the fruit cool in the syrup.
Fresh lychees are on top form in the markets now. A bit pricey at 25rmb/kg, or 2.5rmb/liang
NB more expensive fresh produce, or things sold in small quantities, are often priced by the 'liang',
yi liang = 100g.
Adendum to yang mei post.
Remember to skim the now boiled and sterile bugs off the top of the water/syrup before eating.
