You may have heard about birch water or thought it was another type of coconut water (like I did!) but it has some surprising health benefits. A sweet and light syrup, it's basically the sap that comes from the – you guessed it – birch tree. It is sourced by fixing a tap onto the trunk of the tree ...

Though there is no precise place of origin, with common names such as ‘Chinese’, ‘Korean’, and ‘Indian date’, it is fair to assume that the ‘ziziphus jujuba’ or simply the ‘jujube’ originated in Asia. The richly coloured red fruit is symbolic of fertility in Korea, where it is thrown at the skirt ...

With the showery spring now well established and summer approaching, you may be keen to incorporate some alternative fresh, new ingredients into your diet. Part of the Sapindaceae family (also responsible for maple and rambutan) the Chinese originated lychee has been utilised as much in traditional ...