10 Popular Native Fruits of Japan

Japan is filled with many popular native fruits brought over from China many centuries ago. There are a number of indigenous fruits from Japan's agricultural regions. Some of these Japanese fruits are available in upscale grocery stores throughout the U.S. A popular American fruit was introduced by foreigners during the Meiji Period when Europeans and Americans were trading. However, most of the fruits are exclusive to Japan and East Asia. One fruit from Japan's northern island is so prized that some Japanese will pay top dollar for it. Now get better acquainted with these 10 popular Japanese fruits that may be familiar or completely new to you.

1.) Nashi - Japanese Pear

This is by far my favorite Japanese fruit of all time. I first tried it when I was a child living in Japan. It was the sweetest, crunchiest and juiciest fruit I had ever tasted. It's shaped like an apple, but everything else about it is a pear. The main difference between this pear and its Western counterpart is the nashi's much larger with a lighter taste, rougher skin and a golden-brown color.

I have seen nashis sold in grocery stores in the U.S. You won't always find them available unfortunately. The Japanese have cultivated these pears since prehistoric times. The nashi are in season during the late summer and throughout autumn. They are best eaten when peeled. It's also a well known maxim in Japan that pears are sweeter at the bottom. That is why they are packed upside down so the sweetness will sink down throughout the pear.

2.) Ringo - Apple

Here's another Japanese fruit that is exported to the U.S. The variety of apple I refer to is the Fuji apples, which is large, very crispy and red in color. These are always available in U.S. supermarkets. Fuji apples are one of the few fruits exported worldwide in larger quantities. Apples are very popular in Japan and have been around since the Meiji Period (1868-1912). They are in season during the autumn and early winter. The Japanese eat the apple after its peeled. For the most part fruit is oftentimes eaten as a dessert, peeled and with a fork. In Japan these apples may cost as much as $5 a piece.

3.) Kaki - Japanese Persimmon

It looks like a cross between a tomato, apple and Japanese pear. In a way it looks more like a bright orange tomato. However, the kaki is similar in size, shape, crispness and the way they are eaten to nashis and apples. These fruits can be eaten raw after they are peeled, then cut into pieces. Another way to be eaten is when they are dried, just like figs.

After they're dried, kakis are similar to eating a sweet and sticky date. The Japanese love persimmons. They're in season from the late autumn and all of winter. This is a popular fruit during the autumn, while the dried version is traditionally used in tea ceremonies. Originally kakis came from China, but have been in Japan since the 7th century.

4.) Momo - Peach

Japanese pears are larger, softer and more expensive than what you will find in the U.S. They are about the size of a grapefruit. Instead of a yellow flesh like the Western pear the Japanese variety is white. The pear is also featured prominently in Japanese folklore with the tale of Momotaro (The Peach Boy). Once again these peaches are eaten raw after they've been peeled. These are in season during the summer in Japan. China introduced Japan to the peach as early as 300 BC-300 AD.

5.) Kyoho - Grapes

Western and Japanese grapes are not very different from one another, except for their thick skins. As with all other fruits the Japanese peel the grapes. Otherwise, it would not be very edible. The most popular grape variety is the Kyoho, which is dark purple in color, but very expensive to buy. While grapes are popular as a fruit for consumption they're also used for wine making. Grapes were initially introduced to Japan by the Chinese in the 8th century. The grape season is in the late summer and early autumn.

6.) Mikan - Mandarin Orange

The most popular of the Japanese orange varieties this orange peels easily, it's seedless and an excellent snack or dessert. Besides the Fuji apples the mikan is another export from Japan that's shipped out in large quantities. This mandarin orange is in season during the early winter. It was over 400 years ago when these oranges were introduced to Japan from China.

7.) Ume - Japanese Plum

Rarely eaten raw it is oftentimes pickled with a bowl of rice or at the center of rice balls. This popular plum fruit that is significant in Japan with its flowering tree, much like the cherry blossoms, is also made into wine. During rainy season, which is the early summer, is when the plum is available. The celebration of the plum trees and its blossoms came from China in the 8th century.

8.) Yuzu

A lot of the time this yellow, lemon-sized, sour fruit's juices are used as seasoning in cooking. The rind is a commonly utilized as a garnish for dishes. One of the most distinctive qualities about this unique fruit is its Japanese fragrance. Unlike the lemon it has very little pulp. During the winter solstice, when it is in season, many Japanese will place the yuzu in hot baths for fragrance. It also has other health benefits. In the 6th century China brought over this fruit to Japan. Now it is mostly grown on the island of Shikoku.

9.) Sudachi

There are a lot of similarities with this lime-like fruit and the yuzu. However, the differences are it's smaller in size, features pulp like the lemon and lime fruits and is green in color like the lime. Most of the time the sudachi is used as a seasoning such as squeezing the juices over grilled fish. Much like the yuzu it is also in season during the winter. This fruit has been a part of Japanese cuisine and culture since ancient times.

10.) Melon

Now we come to at long last one of the most prized and beloved fruits in all of Japan, the melon. A conservative price for this prototypical luxury fruit can cost at least 10,000 yen or roughly $100. Of course there are other varieties of melons in Japan that are reasonably priced. These feature the green fleshed melons that look similar to honeydews, oranges fleshed ones like cantaloupes and the white and yellow fleshed melons.

Incidentally, it is the Yubari melon from the northern island of Hokkaido that is the most coveted. This is the one that has been known to be priced in the thousands of dollars. The Yubari is known for its high sugar content. To give it its perfectly round shape these melons are sometimes grown from being suspended in air by strings.

Melon flavors in Japan are the equivalent to apples, oranges and strawberry flavors in the west. You can get ice cream, soft drinks and other snacks with melon in it. This is one fruit the Japanese eat raw after the melon has been cut. It is a popular dessert after a meal. Instead of China introducing this fruit it came by way of the Middle East and India. The season of the melon is the late spring and summertime.

As you can see many of these popular fruits are similar to the ones in the west while others are completely unique to Japan and Eastern Asia. A majority of them have been around for centuries coming from China while some have been in Japan since the beginning. We were introduced to a prized fruit, the melon that some Japanese will literally pay big money for. All of these fruits have a distinct season and are truly savored when their time comes.

SOURCES:

Japan Travel and Living Guide, Japan-Guide.com

Japanese Pear, Google Images

Fruit, Japanese-Food-for-Health.com

Jeffrey Hayes, "Japanese Vegetables, Fruit and Mushrooms", Facts and Details