Much more colorful and interesting than its yellow mainland cousin, the variegated Eureka pink lemon from Hilo is a delightful find in the citrus department. It has a yellow and green striped rind, and best of all, its flesh is pink — imagine a slice of these colors floating in a tall glass of ice water. Imagine, too, real pink lemonade!

This lemon is being grown at OK Farm near downtown Hilo where a 300-tree orchard is yielding a good harvest that should last through summer and beyond.

Ed Olson and Troy Keolanui are partners on this farm, which is producing a variety of fruits, coffee, hearts of palm and maca­damia nuts on 500 acres. Look for this lemon in the produce section of supermarkets.

The variegated Eureka pink lemon is also known for its variegated leaves, making this a lovely citrus tree.

The lemon is tart — a good squeeze over your morning papaya or piece of grilled fish will be pronounced. Use it as you would other lemons in sauces, salad dressings, desserts and all-around cooking. And be sure to make a pitcher of real, pink, locally grown lemonade.

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Hawaii food writer Joan Namkoong offers a weekly tidbit on fresh seasonal products, many of them locally grown.