There are few things that are as ubiquitous in China as yangmei. Only in the markets for a few weeks around June, these dimpled delights combine the flavors of pomegranates, strawberries and cherries into a beautiful specimen of Shanghai seasonality. Looking mildly like beet-stained golfballs, yangmei have been consumed and cultivated in China for thousands of years, but for whatever reason, they rarely make it out of the country in their fresh form.

It goes by a few names in English. Waxberry (not so sexy) and bayberry are the most common. I’m partial to the brilliant marketing name of “yumberry.” Whatever you call it, I hope you take advantage of the season and buy some for yourself. In my world, there aren’t many better things than a warm Shanghai evening with some lightly chilled yangmei and a few friends. In a world of ever increasing international agriculture, yangmei remain one of the few fruit that you simply can’t find anywhere else.

There is the dried version, especially appropriate if you’re drinking a cup of hot tea and hovering over a mahjong table. You can drink the juice if you’re feeling under the weather and want the health benefits of “the next superfruit to come out of Asia.” Heck, you can even drink baijiu infused with the stuff for a truly hair-raising testament to yangmei’s greatness. All are still delicious in their own way, but they pale in comparison to sinking your teeth into the real deal.

At the restaurant, we celebrate yangmei season with a flurry of ice creams, sorbets, jams and sauces. You can use it pretty much anywhere that calls for strawberries and raspberries with uniformly fantastic results, but I especially like working with yangmei because I know I’m creating dishes that can’t be done anywhere else in the world. Like hairy crabs in November, they are representative of the specific time and place we are lucky enough to be a part of, and that simple thought is one of the reasons that I love doing what I do.

Sentiment aside, for all you novice yangmei eaters I leave you with one little tip. Take your beautiful, market-fresh yangmei and give them a nice soak in salted water before you eat them. Don’t be squeamish. It’s natural, disturbingly refreshing (no pesticides, yay!) and altogether harmless. Yes, I know it’s a bit of a hurdle for the mind to see little black “friends” pop out of the berries into the bowl, but have faith–you’re in for some good fruit.

When Austin Hu isn't busy writing City Weekend's The Dish blog, he runs things over at Madison. Check out more of his articles here.