With their full flavors, wheat beers have long been among the most popular styles in both Europe and the United States.

The most commonly known wheat beers are German- and American-style hefeweizens, with their pronounced banana and clove flavors, pillowy white head and hazy appearance. The lesser-known Belgian wit (white) is one of my personal favorites and has quickly become a popular beer in this country.

Like hefeweizens, wits are brewed using a large portion of wheat (up to 50 percent) along with barley. But that is where similarities end. Wits are commonly brewed with the addition of coriander and orange peel and, occasionally, cumin, cardamom, anise and chamomile.

The vibrant citrus and spice flavors, combined with a smooth texture, bubbly carbonation and moderately low alcohol (4 to 5 percent alcohol by volume, or abv) make wits incredibly thirst-quenching and refreshing beers. They are also perfect to pair with delicate foods such as salads, fish, chicken and appetizers.

Here are a few to consider. These are easily found in better beer stores:

» Brasserie Lefebvre is a small family-run brewery south of Brussels that has been producing beer since 1876. Blanche De Bruxelles white beer (16.5-ounce can, about $4.99), introduced in 1989, has become one of its more popular beers.

This beer has a complex aroma of freshly cut orange and lemon slices, along with subtle hints of spice. Make sure you pour this one into a large glass to admire the large, soft white head of foam and capture all the wonderful aromas. The Champagnelike bubbles balance nicely with the complex fruit and spice flavors.

» Unibroueproduces fantastic traditional Belgian-style beers in Quebec that are always a great bargain and readily available in Hawaii.

The Blanche de Chambly (750-milliliter bottle, about $9.99) featuresmild fruit notes of citrus and dried apricot, nicely balanced with soft wheat and yeast flavors similar to a mellow sourdough bread. The dry finish is followed by lingering notes of orange blossoms and a slight honeylike sweetness.

» One of my favorite wit beers comes from Japan’s Kiuchi Brewery, makers of Hitachino Nest White (11.2 ounces, about $6).

Kiuchi has been brewing sake since 1823 and introduced Hitachino Nest beers in 1996. Since then their beers have gone on to win many international beer awards, and their white ale is one of the most popular.

Brewed with coriander, nutmeg, orange peel and orange juice, this beer is incredibly complex and pleasant to drink. Doughy wheat flavors combine with notes of ginger and citrus to provide a silky smooth and refreshing beer.

» Ballast Point Brewery started in the back of a home-brew shop in San Diego in 1996 and has become one of the region’s best-known breweries.

It is renowned for big, bold and hoppy West Coast IPAs but also produces a range of other fantastic beers, such as the Wahoo Wheat (22 ounces, about $6). Full of complex tropical fruit aromas and flavors along with a clean finish, this 4.5-percent abv beer is perfect for warm afternoons in the sun. 

» Massachusetts-based Clown Shoes rarely follows traditions when brewing beers, and that holds true with Clementine (12 ounces, about $5).

This wit is loaded with fresh clementine orange aromas as well as a slightly assertive bitterness.

At 6 percent abv, it has slightly more alcohol than other versions of wits, but the juicy citrus flavors and jumpy carbonation make this an easy beer to drink.