It's late February and if your face isn't sticky with peach or plum juice, have you really had a summer?
Stone fruits like peaches, plums, mangoes, apricots, lychees, nectarines and cherries have been dribbling down faces around the world, since forever. They provide the sweetest relief from bleeding-hot days - perfect alone, though perhaps even better in a recipe.
Stone fruits are also known as drupes. The 'stone' in the centre is actually the protective case for the fruit seed, which is surrounded by a fleshy middle layer (the bit we like to find drizzling down our faces) and thin skin.
Fellow drupes are edibles we generally think of as 'nuts', like cashews, almonds, walnuts coconuts and pistachios. The word drupe comes from the Italian word drupa, or "overripe olive". And yes, olives and dates are both drupes and fruits too, which makes us happy because we get to add them to our list.
The main thing to know about stone fruits is that they are really only nice when they're perfectly ripe. The best way to tell if stone fruit is ripe is to gently press the flesh. It should 'give' a little bit - if you can push into the fruit slightly, it's ready to eat.
Let's take a world tour guided by the fragrance of ripe stone fruits, turned into prized recipes made across generations.
This is a really summery dessert, made with the classic Melba flavours of poached peach and a punchy raspberry sauce. Source: Adam Liaw
The chaja bird could only dream of getting its beak into this heavenly creation. Source: Alan Benson
'Refreshing' is now pronounced 'lychee'. Source: The Sweet Life with Elise Strachan
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Coconut water and lychee jellies
Inspired by the idea of Turkish delight, but with more subtle flavours, this is a simple and delicate dessert that highlights the floral flavour of the fruit. Source: Benito Martin
With the flavours of a Moroccan tagine, this quick and easy one-pot is perfect for a mid-week meal. Source: Ebury Press / Dan Jones
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Saint Fanourios cake
This semi-sweet mango hot sauce is laced with plenty of habanero chillies. Source: Pati's Mexican Table
This salad is inspired by the flavours of Thailand and the balance of hot and sour with salty and sweet. Source: Sharyn Cairns
This traditional dish is from Erzurum, in eastern Anatolia, where they stuff it with lonely walnuts. Pairing them with apricots makes a magical union. Source: Bree Hutchins
White nectarines with jamon and roasted almonds is a simple dish that belies its complex flavours. Source: Benito Martin
Nectarines replace traditional peaches in this contemporary version of the Bellini. Source: Benito Martin
This recipe from Ascoli manages to stuff 14 separate ingredients inside each lucky olive. Source: china squirrel
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Easy spaghetti alla puttanesca
Load up on panko-crumbed feta and plenty of Kalamata olives. Source: Tammi Kwok
The clafoutis is a deceptively simple creation that is basically a posh version of fruit and custard. Source: Danielle Abou Karam
The Limburger cherry flan is also known as vlaai. Source: Alan Benson
Maamoul means 'stuffed' in Arabic and that's exactly what you'll be after polishing off five of these irresistible date cookies. Source: One World Kitchen
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Chocolate date meringue cake
Sweet, sticky and completely addictive, this one is always a crowd pleaser. Source: Anneka's sticky toffee pudding
What a way to ring in the new year. Source: Petrina Tinslay
It's a little bit streusel, a little bit shortbread and a whole lotta plum. Source: John Laurie
Rolling stones
Rice cooker oatmeal with roasted stone fruit
