Lychee and Ginger Ice Cream

Photo: flickr user mi michelle

Ingredients

3 egg whites

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 cups heavy cream

1 can lychees - (1 1/4 lbs) drained, and

roughly chopped

1 cup chopped crystallized (sweet) stem ginger

inch syrup

Grated zest (rind) of 1 orange for garnish

Preparation

Beat the egg whites until thick, gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Add the cream and continue beating until the mixture is thick and creamy.

Add 2 teaspoons of the ginger syrup into the chopped lychees. Gently mix the lychees and ginger into the ice cream mixture and pour into a large (2-quart) flat dish. Cover and freeze. When almost set, take out, beat again, then return to the freezer to set overnight.

One hour before serving, place the ice cream in the refrigerator to soften a little. Garnish with the orange zest.

This recipe yields 8 to 10 servings.

Comments: Southern fruits have always been northern luxuries, and the dainty and exotic lychee, cultivated in southern China since 1700 BC, has quite a history. Stories of the extravagant favorite concubine of an emperor of the Tang dynasty (AD 618-906) tell of relays of exhausted horsemen bringing fresh lychees packed in ice from the South to Changan (now Xian), the capital, to indulge her passion for them.

The flesh of the lychee is a translucent pearly white with a texture and flavor similar to a large luscious grape. In this recipe an ancient fruit is married to an ancient recipe - surprisingly, the making of ice cream in China goes back more than 3,000 years.