New Delhi, June 7 -- There are fruits that languish on the kitchen counter or in the crisper drawer of your fridge. Boringly reliable and waiting obediently for their turn. But the lychee arrives in style, like a summer fling-brief, heady and unapologetically juicy. It makes you question your loyalty to any other fruit. This one doesn't wait around. You either catch it when it's in season or you suffer the consequences. And no, tinned lychees aren't worth consideration. A pale imitation of its original sexy self, floating listlessly in sugar syrup. No, thank you.

The lychee season in India typically spans May to June, making this the perfect time to enjoy this luscious fruit. Living in Mumbai or Bengaluru, we often had to settle for subp...