Out with the sour

Spring is a time of indrawn breath and pursed lips as the uninitiated take a bite of these green shiny fruit and wince at their sourness, or wonder what to do with the furry almond they have politely popped into their mouths to please a neighbour.  It takes a while, but once you have lived here for a while, salty sourness is a welcome taste as the rest of the year is going to be sweet, sweet, sweet.  If there are any left on the trees, the green plums (erik) will be turning pink and the almonds (çağla) will  be developing their shells.  Strawberries are already spilling over the market stalls and the first cherries will soon be affordable (it is never worth paying the arm and a leg for the first fruits). Before long we will be overwhelmed with the sugar rush that a ripe yellow melon or squidgy peach provides and will look back and yearn for the sharp clean taste of a Spring.