Japanese fruit growing is treated like a craft. Growers prune, hand pollinate and grade every piece, so what reaches you is about as good as fruit gets.
We asked Jason from our team to pick his three favourite Japanese fruits. He went for a sesame persimmon, a Shizuoka crown melon and an Okinawa mango. Here’s what makes each one special, and when to look out for them.
1. Sesame persimmon (goma gaki)
Cut a sesame persimmon open and you’ll see orange flesh speckled with dark brown flecks. In Japan, brown-flecked persimmons are called goma, which means sesame. Those flecks aren’t a flaw. They’re a sign of sweetness.
The speckles form when the fruit is pollinated. The seeds release tiny amounts of alcohol, which locks up the tannins that normally make persimmons taste dry and chalky. What’s left is crisp, sweet flesh with a flavour often compared to brown sugar or cinnamon.
Season: autumn into early winter, which makes now the perfect time.
How to eat it: slice it thin and eat it fresh while it’s still firm and crunchy. It also works well with cheese, cured meats, walnuts or a salad of bitter leaves.
2. Shizuoka crown melon
The crown melon is often called the king of Japanese melons. It’s a muskmelon grown in glass greenhouses around Fukuroi in Shizuoka Prefecture, using the same methods for about a hundred years.
The secret is “one vine, one fruit”. Growers remove every other flower cluster and hand pollinate the one they keep. All of the vine’s energy goes into a single melon. It’s then tended by hand for around 100 days.
The result is pale green flesh that almost melts, with a rich aroma and a clean, lingering sweetness. Only melons that pass strict checks get the crown-shaped seal. Look for the T-shaped stem, which shows it was grown one fruit per vine.
How to tell it’s ripe: the bottom of the melon gives slightly when pressed, and the aroma gets stronger. Chill it for a couple of hours before cutting into wedges.
3. Okinawa mango
Okinawa is Japan’s biggest mango-growing region. Almost all of its crop is the Irwin variety, known in Japan as the “apple mango” for its deep red skin.
Okinawa gets heavy rain while mango trees flower, so growers raise them in plastic greenhouses. These also shelter the trees from typhoons. The fruit is left on the tree until it’s fully ripe, rather than picked early for shipping.
The flesh is smooth, juicy and almost fibre-free. It has high sweetness balanced by a gentle tartness, so it tastes rich without being cloying.
Season: Okinawa’s main harvest runs through the summer, so mangoes this good are a rare find later in the year. We’ve got a limited number in stock right now.
How to eat it: cut the cheeks off either side of the stone, score them into cubes and turn them inside out. It’s also great over shaved ice or with yoghurt.
Why Japanese fruit is worth trying
All three show what Japanese growers do best: patience, careful selection and fruit picked at its peak. Sesame persimmons are in season this autumn, and we have a limited number of Okinawa mangoes in stock now.
Want to add them to your next order? Get in touch with the All Greens team and we’ll talk you through what’s in.
Sources
- JETRO: Crown Melon, the luxury of one vine, one fruit
- Asia Matters for America: Japanese Crown Melon in the USA
- Specialty Produce: Maru (goma kaki) persimmons
- Specialty Produce: Hyakume persimmons
- ISHS: Mango production using plastic greenhouses in Okinawa
- Nihonmono: Okinawa mango growers in Nakijin
