Bright, tart, acidic, sweet, sour, and abundantly fragrant — these properties combined is what makes the lemon one of the most versatile fruits in the world.

Try these easy, citrus-inspired dishes to see just how far a lemon can go!

Lemon water zing

Lemons have been used for centuries to ward off all manner of problems, mostly thanks to particularly high levels of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). Vitamin C is often claimed to support the immune system, as well as shorten the duration of symptoms for a number of basic conditions. They are also low in calories but high in flavour. It’s actually the zest and pith which contain significant levels of valuable antioxidants. Headlines have linked lemon water to aiding weight loss, improved digestion and detoxification. Squeeze a lemon in luke warm water and add some freshly-chopped ginger for a boost.

Lemon drizzle cake

Lemon cheesecake, syllabub, sorbet, pudding, tart and lemon meringue pie — if you’re a lemon dessert lover the options are endless. The crowning glory has to be the lemon drizzle cake, a popular choice because it can be whipped up with a list of very basic ingredients including a base of butter and sugar, eggs, lemon, buttermilk, and flour. We love the additional tang buttermilk gives the cake, but you can also use whole milk or a milk alternative instead. Try making a mix between cream cheese frosting and lemon buttercream. Simply combine the two by adding 225g of cream cheese and a little extra icing sugar to your lemon buttercream recipe.

Zesty chicken

This easy lemon chicken recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner and shines with a sunny, lemony zing. Garlic and herbs—plus a big glug of zest—can make juicy, tender chicken breasts as delicious as they are healthy. Lemon is acidic and helps balance the stronger flavour of the dark meat and the fat from the chicken skin. Cook with the skin on as this not only stops the meat drying out, the chicken also gets bathed with the flavour. For a basic chicken marinade combine lemon juice and zest, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. With a sharp knife, cut into the underside of each chicken piece and coat with the marinade. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for 90 minutes before cooking.