Gorgon fruit soup with osmanthus [Photo from WeChat account ksntv0512]

Gorgon fruit (Chinese: 雞頭米，芡實(shí))

In season: from early August to late October

The gorgon fruit, also known as jitoumi or qianshi in Chinese, is an ideal snack for autumn and is one of the eight aquatic delicacies harvested from Taihu Lake.

You can buy fresh gorgon fruit kernels from street vendors, and the round, soft and chewy ones are the best for cooking.

The classic dish is gorgon fruit soup –– the quick-boiled ones are tasty –– with some rock candy and osmanthus for extra flavor. It is also recommended to cook the dish with lotus seed and Chinese yam, which has a wide range of benefits for the body.