Japanese foods--kudamono

[torakris]

When you have the time, please do continue telling us more about specific exquisite fruit varieties in Japan.

I have seen pictures of meticulously trained figs and peaches, and hope someone will be tell us more about these and specialty grapes. There are even mangoes being grown in greenhouses in Japan!

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Mangoes are grown here, my most recent co-op catalogue is selling them this week, 2 for 1980 yen (a little less than $20).

Many Japanese fruits were discussed in detail in the Daily nihongo thread, starting with this post

[torakris]

an entire thread on apples in Japan

[torakris]

here is the fruit section of my most recent co-op catalogue, these are pretty average prices for fruit in Japan. This is nothing fancy though, this is just the plain old everyday fruit.

It is sort of hard to read but pretty much everything is grown in Japan, with the blueberries you have a choice of American ones at about $4 for a little less than 1/4 lb or Japanese ones at $6 for the same amount.

these grapefruits, oranges and bananas are all imports

[sanrensho]

It is sort of hard to read but pretty much everything is grown in Japan, with the blueberries you have a choice of American ones at about $4 for a little less than 1/4 lb or Japanese ones at $6 for the same amount.

Have you tried the Japanese blueberries? If so, how do they compare to the US blueberries?

Blueberries weren't commonly available when I was living there. Although we would ocasionally pass by the odd small blueberry farm when driving around in Nagano-ken (Matsumoto and surrounding areas).

Someone mentioned figs. In my experience, most Japanese aren't familiar with eating raw figs, much less dried ones.

Edited June 4, 2005 by sanrensho (log)

[torakris]

It is sort of hard to read but pretty much everything is grown in Japan, with the blueberries you have a choice of American ones at about $4 for a little less than 1/4 lb or Japanese ones at $6 for the same amount.

Have you tried the Japanese blueberries? If so, how do they compare to the US blueberries?

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not at that price...

There really aren't too many fruits sold here that are regularly from both Japan and some where else. Usually it is either one or the other. For example bing cherries (called American cherries here) are all imported while the Japanese sakuranbo cherry are all Japan grown.

Since I have been paying attention I have never seen an imported apple, peach, fig and I am sure others.

The only other fruit I can think of that are from Japan and elsewhere are strawberries but the California ones only show up when the Jaapnese ones are out of season and they are actually quite expensive.

I don't think have ever noticed Japanese grown blueberries in a supermarket before....

In the case of vegetables though, domestic grown ones are often twice the price of foreign grown ones and they are often on display right next to each other in the store. I do not the think the Japanese ones taste any different.

[anzu]

Someone mentioned figs. In my experience, most Japanese aren't familiar with eating raw figs, much less dried ones.

Not that unfamiliar with raw figs, I would say. I lived in two different parts of Kansai, and both places there were neighbours with fig trees in their gardens. The second place (Osaka that time around) the owner was also selling them out the front of his house, with about ten figs to a tray and charging maybe 150 yen for the lot (not that long ago, but forgotten the exact price).

So I figure if they were that unfamiliar, they wouldn't have been grown so often. Surely, also, one would not be charging such a reasonable price, and leaving the fruit outside for people to pay by the honor method?

Of course, I could have come across the only two fig trees in the whole of Kansai, but I kind of doubt it!

[Hiroyuki]

I have heard so much praise for the Hami melons and the grapes from the arid west of China; are any of these imported and sold in Japan?

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I managed to find a passage about the import of Hami melons into Japan:

最近日本にも少し輸出しているようですが、保存のため、あまり完熟していないものが多く輸入されて、本当に美味しいハミメロンを食べるなら、シルクロードへ行って食べないと美味しさが分かりません。

from http://sun-mari-web.hp.infoseek.co.jp/tecan.html

Rough translation: Hami melons seem to be imported into Japan nowadays, but many of them are not fully ripened for storage purposes. If you want to eat realy delicious Hami melons, you have to go to the Silk Road.

I have never heard of or seen Hami melons myself.

[torakris]

Figs are quite popular in my area of Kanto, they are just starting to come into season now, at the peakI can expect to see three different types in my local stores. They are quite pricey currently about $6-$7 for 4 large ones. At their peak of season I can get 6 in the $4 range...

EDITEdf to add, all Japan grown by the way

Edited June 4, 2005 by torakris (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Torakris, Hiroyuki, and others,

When you have the time, please do continue telling us more about specific exquisite fruit varieties in Japan.

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Just one example.

Musk melons are way too expensive (3,000 yen and above) for regular home use, but amusu (sp?) melons, which are similar to musk melons in aroma, flavor, and texture, are available at more reasonable prices - around 700 yen.

Links:

http://www.iwami.or.jp/masudasi/top/kurash...usan/meron.html

http://www.nhk.or.jp/t-shinseiki/

(Sorry, Japanese only)

[torakris]

I haven't seen those amusu melons around here, the common cheap ones here are the Andes melon. The green fleshed ones in the middle

but even at $6 to $7 for 700g (less than 1 1/2 lbs) that is still too pricey for everyday eating.....

[torakris]

a gift from a friend's tree

what would you make with them?

[JasonTrue]

I guess umeshu and umeboshi are too obvious, but I'd love to have some ume-syrup which I can use to make refreshing summer drinks (mae sil cha for example, which is Korean). I think you can boil some amount of ume with equal parts sugar and water.

I think candied ume would be good for cakes and things like that. I sometimes got dried ume which are somehow sweetened, from Chinese shops, but they are a little tough to eat.

I think that the stones of ume are considered toxic (similar to peach I suppose).

How about ume sorbet?

a gift from a friend's tree

what would you make with them?

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[torakris]

that ume sryup sounds good!

umeboshi are too time consuming and I was going to make umeshu but when I went to the store and saw the price I would have to pay for everything needed I figured it is just cheaper to buy umeshu.....

[JasonTrue]

I also remember seeing Ume Jam in something, maybe Tennen Seikatsu magazine. Failing that, try these pages:

http://homepage2.nifty.com/NG/ume/ume20B.htm

http://bainiku.info/howtoume/umejam.htm

http://www.pickled-ume.com/info/jam.html

I think the advantage of making ume-shu at home isn't the price, it's the flavor. I think most of the commercial ones in Japan are too sweet and corn-syrupy.

The one I made this year isn't quite ready to drink but it is already a very different flavor than a bottled one. Mine has less sugar, a slightly higher level of alcohol (which I will adjust downward with water when serving), and more fruit flavor (not much complexity yet though).

I'm guessing you could sneak thin slices of umeboshi into some ohitashi, and maybe you can grind the fruit with some chilies and salt to make "ume-koshou."

[JasonTrue]

My friend pointed out this convenient use for all the extra ume you'll end up when making umeshu:

http://cookpad.com/chikatus/index.cfm?Page...50870&Mode=full

There's no way you'd be able to eat all those alcohol soaked umeshu without falling over, but this recipe for umeshu no ume jam seems like a good frugal idea.

[Sencha]

Oh! So wonderful! Unfortunately, I don't have a source for fresh ume where I'm living now, but if I did, I think I'd try making umeboshi. I've yet to do that and always seem to never have enough of them.

That ume syrup that Jason mentioned sounds good too...

I'm thinking maybe this is a sign that I should move!

[helenjp]

I would make ume vinegar drink with them. You can cut the amount of sugar way down, if you are prepared to compensate by allowing the drink to mature longer before drinking. The finished product makes a very fine long drink for that exhausting humid heat of summer.

The usual method is equal parts by weight of green ume, rock sugar, and cider vinegar.

Soak ume 6-8 hours or so in cold water then drain and dry, then layer with sugar in a clean (preferably sterile, but ume probably kills anything immoral anyway) container, pour vinegar over to completely cover all fruit. Cap securely, place in a cool place out of direct sunlight, and leave about 1 month. (Or a year...as you like).

If you use normal crystallized sugar, it may not dissolve without agitating the container daily, and the finished vinegar may be cloudy. You can buy this type of sugar at Chinese groceries. You can use any mild vinegar, but cider vinegar seems to be the most popular. You can also use any kind of sweetener, but be sure that your container is clean and storage area clean and dry if you use honey. If you age this drink for 2-3 years, it will darken, so don't be afraid to use heavy-flavored sugars or honeys if you prefer them.

Some people take the ume out after 1 or 3 months, or even after 6 months, to avoid getting too much tartness or almond flavor from the pits - this is true of umeshu too. You can continue to age the drink (vinegar or umeshu) after the ume have been removed.

Ume from ume vinegar or more usually umeshu are nice in fruit cakes or pound cakes, or chopped into apple dishes.

[Kiem Hwa]

In my Shojin Ryori cookbook, there are two recipes (besides umeboshi and umeshu).

Ni-ume (Simmered Ume):

Green ume are simmered in a small amount of shoyu (4tsp) and sugar (4 Tbsp) for 10 min, then rinsed in cold running water (under the tap) overnight, drained, and sprinkled with the same ratio of shoyu-sugar for serving.

Ao-ume no Satou-zuke (Sweet green ume): these are the sweet crispy ones, a recipe from the Shinshuu region, adopted by Sanko-in.

The ume are pricked with needles and soaked in water for 1 day. Then lightly salt and let stand for 72hrs. Then wash and the seeds can be removed. Then soak for 12 hours in water to get rid of the salt. Then sprinkle with shochu and sugar (2Tbsp each) . Then put into an airtight jar and put in a cool dark place for at least 2 months. Fruits are served with the sweet liquid.

I wish I had some green ume so I could try these out!!!!

[lambretta76]

I would make the freshest chu-hai on the planet, but that's probably just my hangover speaking... ;)

[torakris]

I was watching a show the other day that was talking Japanese grown mangoes and why they are so expensive. Most of the imported mangoes are from Taiwan and the Philippines and they are picked from the trees while still green and then shipped to Japan. The Japanese ones, on the other hand, are ripened on the trees inside a net and a bag. The bag I think was to prevent iregular coloring and the net was to catch them when they fell off the stem. The mangoes are never "picked" rather they allowed to ripen fully until they actually fall off the stems themselves...

This particular farm that they showcased sold their mangoes for about 4,000 ($40) a piece, I really wonder just how much sweeter they could be? but 4,000yen?

here are some pictures of the netted mangoes

[SuzySushi]

The Marukai stores in Hawaii are taking orders for air-flown Hokkaido Furano Melons, for $37.00 each (3.5 lb./1.6kg size). What are those?

We also get quite a few Fuji apples from Japan in Hawaii. They're usually sold by the piece instead of by weight, and have pale red skins rather than the red-blushed greenish yellow skins characteristic of Fuji apples from Washington State or New Zealand. They're larger, too. Japanese pears are also brought in on a regular basis, probably to cater to the Japanese market here. I wish someone would import kyohou grapes!

[prasantrin]

I'm feeling the need to do some fall baking. Aside from pecan pie (which I made more than a month ago and am still eating) and some appley things, I want something with pears. Like a nice free-form pear tart, or perhaps these pear and ginger muffins (note, recipe available for a limited time, only). I know I can find western pears in Japan, but I can't bear the thought of using a Y200+ pear for baking. If I'm going to pay that much, I'm going to eat it as is!

So, are nashi and yonashi interchangable in baking recipes? It seems to me that nashi have a higher water content, so if I use them in the muffin recipe, for example, should I add a bit more flour? And what about in a pie recipe? Can it be done? Has anyone tried subsituting one of the other, without altering the recipes?

[torakris]

I have never tried nashi in a dessert, I always assumed it wouldn't be a proper substitute, the texture is quite different as is the taste....

Why don't you experiment for us?

[helenjp]

I have used nashi in baking. Nope. Bad mistake. Texture turned horrible (from crisp and juicy to floppy and rubbery) and the flavor disappeared completely.. Either grit your teeth and pay out for younashi or use apples or kiwifruit or even persimmons!

[prasantrin]

Whew! I was going to try making muffins, just to test it out as torakris suggested, but now that I've read Helen's post...no way! I've noticed in my baking class that they usually use canned bartlett pears. I wonder if that's a more economical way to use Western pears. Well, perhaps I'll just stick to apples for now. Thanks!