Author Topic: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023  (Read 2960 times)

caladri

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Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« on: February 11, 2023, 01:59:06 AM »
This winter I have taken the opportunity to try a wider range of citrus imported from Japan thanks to the help of a number of friends and suppliers. The nice thing about being in Canada is being able to import a much wider range of citrus since we don't (really) have a citrus industry. In years past I've mostly brought in shekwasha, but this year I wanted to record some subjective observations of as many different varieties as I could. I'd be very interested if others have had similar impressions or experiences, or especially if there's other Japanese citrus that you'd recommend based on the emerging tastes herein!
  • shekwasha: my go-to sour mandarin. While I enjoy the pungent rind in the right applications, it's all about the small, juicy segments. The juice is rich and complex, and when it's fully ripe, it's got a surprisingly deep taste, with a broad complexity faintly reminiscent of a minneola tangelo. Of course, most of the commercial harvest is picked less ripe, but even when sour and green, it's surprisingly edible out of hand, and people I've given them to who aren't citrus nerds agree with that.
  • sudachi: so sharply acidic and funky that I really only found it enjoyable added to other things (it rounds out insipid juices pretty nicely), and I can see how it works best in cooking. The peels are so full of notes I expect from other Rutaceae (especially Zanthoxylum) that I just had to make a batch of marmalade from the peels. It is strange.
  • kito yuzu: this regional yuzu selection is widely sought-after, and I can see why, although I imagine part of the high price is down to selecting the best specimens for market. So pungent that a paper bag of them completely filled my car with aroma almost immediately. The flesh is quite nice out-of-hand, with a bit more subtlety and complexity than the yuzu selections grown in California, as well as being larger, heavier, and all around more charismatic to eye and hand both. The dried rind is noticeably more aromatic and floral.
  • mikkabi mikan: an extremely juicy regional mikan selection which I found pretty indifferent. The flavour is very, very consistent, for lack of a better word. Not entirely one-note, but also not very complex. My partner compared it to the taste of a canned mandarin, and I think that's fair. Hits the major sweet notes of mandarin in a very clear way, but I like a bit more complexity. The texture is velvety and soft.
  • hassaku orange: I wish I had not gotten 4kg of them. Due to weather and Christmas, the shipment was delayed an entire week, and conventional wisdom is that they get bitter after a few days, and the bitterness increases. Frankly, I would have liked a bit of bitterness, but that was not my experience. Most citrus juices contain some amount of various sulfur compounds, but after a few days of eating these past their prime, all I could taste was the rotten egg sulfur undertone in the juice. So much so that I could notice it in other citrus I was eating, and it became slightly challenging to eat anything else. There were some nice flavour notes, too, but they are lost to me, now. I would like to try one when it's properly fresh some day.
  • shishiyuzu / oniyuzu: primarily existing for the gift market, I had low expectations for the quality of the fruit, but I was pleasantly surprised. Like a more aromatic lemon crossed with a acidic pomelo, but not really like anything else I can compare it to, except perhaps a citron. In fact, when the rind and pith were lazily candied, the result had a lovelier texture and a nicer aroma than most citrons I've candied! The juice was sour but had some more complex notes, and I think it was actually worth eating, although mostly once candied.
  • oto: wow. When ripe, they were like a larger, richer, and more rewarding shekwasha. A complex flavour definitely rivaling a fine tangelo, and probably the best exemplar of the sour mandarins I've yet encountered. Deep, dark mandarin flavours with a clear brightness and some spice notes. An instant favourite.
  • jabara: the rind hits hard with some of those Zanthoxylum-like notes, along with an aroma my partner consistently refers to as "plastic", and I think somewhat fairly. There is a cucumber note to the juice, which is sharply but enjoyably acidic, and combined with the funky spice notes, the juice reminds me of pickle juice more than anything else. After juicing, the flesh retains some sweetness and is enjoyable with some warm spice notes like cinnamon, and a total absence of the cucumber flavour. Like with sudachi, I see where this is prized in cooking, but I think the juice would be a lovely flavour in something like a kombucha or a homemade sports drink, being rather clear and vibrant. Hints of tea tree oil aroma in the rind, which combined with the cucumber note of the juice make me feel like I'm smelling soaps at a Lush when cutting into one.
  • kawabata: mild and dry in a way that was reminiscent of a low-quality moro blood orange, complete with some vague melon notes, but very vague, light a dry pomelo. The seeds are amusingly long and needly. Hard to say much about it; reminded me of an extremely dry dekopon, with less flavour, or a mediocre pomelo. In fact, reminds me a lot of a small Korean pomelo I've only had once, but with less flavour. We noted mealy or shrimpy (let the mushroom forager understand) aftertastes which were not desirable, and otherwise had a vigorous row about whether this is the blandest citrus we've ever had.
  • tachibana: I don't know why I thought they were bigger! Closely related (genetically) to shekwasha and oto, it is about the same size and shape as shekwasha, but with a stiffer rind. Very charismatic and deeply coloured in-hand, I can see why most Japanese people I've spoken to think of them as an ornamental rather than a food. The juice is less rewarding and abundant than shekwasha, but otherwise fairly similar. Commentators online say they're bitter, but that wasn't my experience, although some over-ripe specimens had a menthol note which was challenging. I do like a small sour mandarin.
  • yuuko of Nagasaki: weird regional citrus, very tough to peel or separate the segments. Rind smells of a volatile compound (maybe piperine?) that's present in both Zanthoxylum and black peppercorn. The taste is relatively clear and straightforward, reminiscent of a limeade. Somewhere between yuzu and key lime in flavour, but with none of the floral or fragrant notes of either.
  • kabosu: sharp and funky, I can see why it's at-home in savoury applications, but for eating out of hand, it is not that enjoyable. Has the most brittle rind of any, making it hard to juice without getting rindy notes, but that's probably good if you're making a ponzu with it. Definitely more juicy than many of its compatriots, however.
  • hyuganatsu: my beloved! Velvety, succulent texture. The pith is like dense cotton candy, only nicer to touch. Rind is edible, but especially the pith is edible. The fruit itself is juicier than juice, and softer than the mikkabi mikan. The cell walls of the juice vesicles seem to have negative structural integrity. The taste reminds me of a watered-down Vietnamese lemonade, which is such a taste of childhood that I can't resist it. These disappeared extremely quickly, and we were disappointed at how few seeds there were. Definitely something I want to grow, and seek out other fruit that are compared to it. A real winner despite having a kind of middling flavour. Like if sweet limes were simultaneously more enjoyable and also less flavourful. I think I got the pleasure from this that mikkabi mikan fans get from those juicy mandarins. I want a 10kg sack of them, a light beer, and a warm Spring afternoon to wallow in forever.
« Last Edit: May 04, 2023, 08:18:06 PM by caladri »

pagnr

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #1 on: February 11, 2023, 03:53:13 AM »
I have been to the outer Tokyo area a few times.
Your list is better than what I was able to find without travelling to fruit production areas or seeking out speciality shops in central Tokyo.
I have only tried a few on the list, mainly more common types that everybody here would know, none of the rarer types.
The list is pretty impressive.
Great job with the descriptions of flavour
Please keep us updated on future purchases.

Sudachi is one of my favourite Citrus.
Kabosu was a bit behind, but may have to rethink.
It reminded me of this soft drink https://schweppes.com.au/products/bitter-lemon/
Schweppes Bitter Lemon a fave from childhood and possibly my intro to unusual Citrus flavours.
Both of the above were tried in Japan, fairly green sub ripe fruit. Never seen the later stage fruit.
I think there are old type Hassaku and new improved Hassaku.  (Nomi Ben Hassaku ? )The ones I tried were not far off Smooth Flat Seville.
I am growing Shekwasha, I can see the minneola connection. Forgot about trying them at green stage.

caladri

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #2 on: February 11, 2023, 12:32:55 PM »
What do you think is the best way to use sudachi, pagnr? Do you use them green or ripe? They're popular here for growing in southwestern BC because they're one of the acid citrus that Bob Duncan promotes growing, but most people I know who have a tree don't get much fruit off of them, and just use them like limes.

Also, our own Kamado on the forum provided a significant fraction of those, and is able to provide a lot, lot more! Some, though, came from a friend's extended family's backyard trees in Okinawa, which is definitely the ideal way to get regional fruits at a desired level of ripeness :) Some came from that same friend going to a small number of markets in Tokyo, but he works in the industry and knows exactly where to go and when. I could ask him for the name of a market or two worth checking out if folks would find that useful.

Fascinating to hear about your experience with Hassaku, too. All 4kg of the ones I got were pretty well exactly the same, which makes me suspect that age was the primary factor, but also that some vendors have a lot of consistency in what they're offering. Hm!

sc4001992

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #3 on: February 11, 2023, 01:09:12 PM »
caladri, very good descriptions on the varieties.
« Last Edit: May 06, 2023, 12:32:06 AM by sc4001992 »

pagnr

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #4 on: February 11, 2023, 03:19:37 PM »
What do you think is the best way to use sudachi, pagnr? Do you use them green or ripe?

I just bought them as they were in the Japanese shop, 3 green in a mini pak.
Really just enjoyed the juice squeezed over foods or add to soy sauce or Kewpie Mayo.
Also juice added to Soba noodle broth or the Nori roll ( Sushi roll ) dipping sauce side bowl.
Possibly also used on raw fish Sashimi.

https://misosoup.site/what-is-sudachi-and-how-is-it-used/


The Hassaku's I tried were perfectly fine to eat, nothing too unusual. As i said it was pretty close to Smooth Flat Seville in flavour.
( SFS is sweet juicy, slightly bitter and sour, Ok for me possibly not quite for everybody ).
I believe Hassaku was traditionally eaten sprinkled with sugar to get over the sour and bitter elements.
Possibly I tried the newer Hassaku variety, as I didn't think that sugar was needed.
Also when I gave Smooth Flat Seville to a Japanese visitor here, they ate it out of hand and enjoyed it without comment about bitterness or sourness.

caladri

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #5 on: February 11, 2023, 07:33:24 PM »
sc4001992, I am very interested in amanatsu and natsudaidai, which I have had only in processed food and drink, never has fresh fruit out of hand — in those cases, the flavours were fairly compelling! Have you had them from Japanese sources, or from growers outside of Japan? It seems like that makes a fairly large amount of difference, especially as in places in the US where there may be one or two sets of genetics introduced at one point, and then nothing, while Japan retains a much greater range of genetic diversity and also diversity in growing techniques. The number of people who think that all yuzu are the same as CRC 1216 is really astounding!

caladri

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #6 on: February 19, 2023, 02:01:27 AM »
A follow-up on tachibana: I am really, really baffled by reports that describe it as bitter. I processed dozens today to get a few hundred mL of juice, and the juice was bright, rich, and intense, with no bitterness at all. Those which had menthol notes in the juice were easy to discard. Mixed the juice about 1:2 juice to 18% cream and threw it in an ice cream maker, and it was superb.

Also threw the peels and residual flesh into an air still to see what flavours came over, but there were menthol notes in multiple fractions, despite some brief runs which were nicely orangey in different ways, and I also didn't know the source well enough to know if there were pesticides I might be extracting and concentrating, so I discarded everything I collected anyway.

Definitely one of those citrus that makes me fantasize about what it might contribute to crosses with some of the usual suspects for breeding complex, rich fruit, like willowleaf mandarin and king tangor.

I really, really like the flavour of tachibana fruit, and like very ripe shekwasha or oto, it's just remarkably rich and lovely. I don't know what pure Citrus ryukyuensis is like, but its crosses with Citrus reticulata sure are nifty. (If anyone has wild collected fruit (or seeds) of C. ryukyuensis, I'm a very interested buyer!)

Peep

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #7 on: February 19, 2023, 05:13:36 AM »
I haven't tasted Tachibana yet, but I also think it's an interesting fruit. Sudachi is a cross between Yuzu and Tachibana if I'm not mistaken.
I've also read that in general crossing with Tachibana can give interesting and appealing taste to the resulting hybrid.

caladri

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #8 on: February 19, 2023, 01:28:56 PM »
I think the best current source on sudachi genetics is 2016's "Hybrid Origins of Citrus Varieties Inferred from DNA Marker Analysis of Nuclear and Organelle Genomes" by Shimizu et al., which says:
Quote
The inferred relationships agreed that sudachi (C. sudachi Hort. ex Shirai) is a hybrid of
yuzu [7]. The cytotype of sudachi was koji-type (C18), but neither koji nor any other variety
with koji-type organelle genome was assumed to be the seed parent of sudachi

Of course, one key takeaway from the paper (at least to me) is confirmation that there are often several distinct cryptic varieties given the same name in Japan, in part due to the amount of propagation by seed and higher genetic diversity overall than we might think of in places which have a smaller pool of genetics and less propagation from seed. So the "tachibana" I've had may be quite distinct to other exemplars of the name.

A funny upshot of this is that there is so much standardization, conversely, in the US and in places whose citrus industries descend from the US, such that there is an expectation that "yuzu" is always like CRC 1216. Looking at the list of varieties classified and available through NARO is humbling and exciting, but even that doesn't capture the genetic diversity that exists both in the wild and even in cultivation in Japan.

caladri

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #9 on: May 04, 2023, 08:04:34 PM »
Now that it's Spring, I've managed to get ahold of 2kg of field-grown hyuganatsu, rather than greenhouse-grown, which obviously makes a difference in terms of seediness — and the seeds are in some cases impressively large, very much like a pommelo. I am, honestly, blown away. The flavour is so much more intense and rich, and the rinds are just as nice to eat. I am glad that Dan Willey's project with CCPP has suggested that they introduce a source of hyuganatsu budwood, because wow.

If New Zealand Lemonade weren't already a thing, I'd suggest that the English name for it ought to be lemonade, because it is like nothing as much as a rich glass of American-style lemonade inside an easily peelable, smooth rind. The edibility of the rind, too, remains just delightful. While myself and my little squad of tasters enjoyed them better when peeled, we were quite happy to eat them with the rind. I thought and still think the albedo alone is best, and that it's more enjoyable separate from the ridiculously-juicy fruit. The juiciness reminds me of tachibana and sour mandarins like shekwasha; only in very few of them were the vesicles particularly noticeable, it's much more like the whole thing dissolves instantly into juice in one's mouth. (Which sounds awful. It isn't.)

I also got an absurd amount of very large amanatsu/natsudaidai, which are everything I'd hoped hassaku would be. Like a very juicy sweet orange, a little bit of texture, and a hint of spicy white grapefruit notes.

If you get a chance to try some Spring hyuganatsu, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

gordonh1

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #10 on: May 04, 2023, 08:11:41 PM »
I'm very excited to try growing shikuwasa, or shekwasha. Does anyone have experience of growing this plant?  It is said to be very hardy.

caladri

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #11 on: May 04, 2023, 08:17:52 PM »
Shekwasha was relatively widely trialed in northern Floria once upon a time as rootstock, I recall reading. There are traces of commercial availability through rootstock seed suppliers up through some time in the last decade, but I don't know if I've seen anything more recent. I have a couple hundred seedlings, and while fairly young they were exposed to brief -4ºC in an uncontrolled manner, and didn't seem too bothered. I protected them from -10ºC and won't be giving them a serious cold trial any time soon. They seem like a potential decent candidate for the Pacific Northwest, especially since most of their established uses (in Japanese agriculture) are not fully ripened, although I think they're much more enjoyable when ripe.

Pandan

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 20223-202
« Reply #12 on: May 04, 2023, 08:24:18 PM »
Such a shame this probably wouldn't be possible stateside. Hope you kept some seeds if it was allowed
« Last Edit: May 04, 2023, 08:48:20 PM by Pandan »

gordonh1

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #13 on: May 05, 2023, 01:54:25 PM »
The juice of Shekwasha is sold for $40 a bottle.
https://www.amazon.com/JA-Okinawa-Shikuwasa-whole-squeezed/dp/B0087M2FJW/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2T1DANNGX2KM3&keywords=shikuwasa+juice&qid=1683254257&sprefix=%2Caps%2C139&sr=8-6

I guess that shows there's demand for these regional favorites, maybe among gourmet foodies and Japanese chefs. Might make a practical cottage industry for someone growing it locally.  And this suggests that the flavor is unique enough that it's worth seeking out, rather than settling for lemon or lime juice as a substitute.

pagnr

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #14 on: May 05, 2023, 04:18:46 PM »
There is also a strong link in the mind of the Japanese to the health benefits of Okinawan fruit and vegetables.
The Okinawan population has long life expectancies and numbers of people living to 100. That is / was even higher than mainland Japan, which is also high up on the list.
That is based on diet and activity / lifestyle.
Some particular vegetables have been shown to have high health benefits, like the Okinawan sweet potato variety and Goya aka bitter melon.
Shiikuwasha has also been found to contain various health enhancing compounds, ie antioxidants, fat metabolisers, anti inflammatory, anti cancer.

1rainman

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #15 on: May 05, 2023, 11:55:45 PM »
It's called the Mediterranean diet because the same phenomenon of long life happened with Greeks and Italians 100 years ago. It was studied and found that regions like Italy, Japan and some others had optimal diets. Though in modern times that has changed in Europe.

The main factor is a diet high in fish. Fish oil and olive oil are the best oils you can eat. They even have supplements now.

A diet very low in meat, but does include some meat. This is mainly where modern Greeks and Italians are no longer healthy because they eat more meat. Historically in these cultures it was super rare to eat straight meat like a hamburger. Instead a little hamburger would be used to flavor spaghetti sauce or something. This tiny amount of meat is optional for humans. Vegetarians end up lacking some amino acids. In Asia it would be something like chicken fried rice with a small amount of chicken and egg in the mix. But never eating just pure chicken. And usually eating fish at least once a week.

Along with this fresh fruits and vegetables. I don't think one region has particularly better ones.

Asians do have herbs that extend life. Fo-ti, ginseng, astralugus.

I used to have a fo ti vine. It was vigorous in Florida. I need to get one again.

Asia has the same problem as Italy as they take on a more modern diet obesity, diabetes etc is increasing. Traditional Asian or Mediterranean diet is really healthy. When they started bleaching the rice it caused massive health problems due to nutrient.defiency. same with white bread. You would need to.eat rye bread, brown rice etc in the diet not this bleached stuff. In Italy they ate a lot of unbleached bread and in Asia rice.

Some native Americans back in colonial days were living to be 115. They outlived white people by a lot. Now they have massive health problems with the modern diet.

pagnr

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #16 on: May 06, 2023, 03:07:08 AM »

Along with this fresh fruits and vegetables. I don't think one region has particularly better ones.


Some of the Australian will fruit species are much higher in vitamin C, antioxidants, other nutrients than cultivated fruit. Also being smaller fruit, you get a bigger hit of nutrition from one or several fruit. Some can definitely give you a perk or buzz.
Some fruit or vegetable varieties do have higher nutrition levels than others of the same type.
Transport, storage and processing is going to impact those levels, so recently harvested local food is probably going to outweigh the Super Food tag to some extent.

My original thought was that the belief in the health benefits of Okinawan Shiikuwasha fruit could drive demand in Japan as much as any culinary or flavour attractions.
I don't doubt Shiikuwasha has health benefits, and as you say the benefits may not fully stack up as much in modern diets.

1rainman

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #17 on: May 06, 2023, 09:46:17 AM »
Domestic fruit is bred for high yield, large size, sweetness. So heirloom or wild varieties have more nutrients whereas store varieties are mostly sugar. Like a hybrid or wild grapes usually has more flavor and antioxidants than domestic ones or with bananas etc.

Then the shipping etc. Yes I agree. Better to have home grown more wild or heirloom types that aren't obsessed with giant yields. And have variety instead of mono culture.

Florian

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #18 on: May 09, 2023, 11:37:38 AM »
I would very much love to taste those.. We have no citrus industry either but it is illegal to import anything citrusy from outside the EU.. just because.

bussone

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #19 on: May 09, 2023, 03:11:28 PM »
There is also a strong link in the mind of the Japanese to the health benefits of Okinawan fruit and vegetables.
The Okinawan population has long life expectancies and numbers of people living to 100. That is / was even higher than mainland Japan, which is also high up on the list.

Don't put too much stock in this.

Nations play games with life expectancy (there is a fair amount of social security fraud in Japan, where many centenarians died long before, but their death went unreported in order to keep government checks coming; this skews life expectancy stats), and the entanglement between socio-economic status and life expectancy is pretty profound. As a for instance, Chinese, Japanese, and Indians in the US live longer than the average back home, in part because the ones who move to the US are wealthier than average. For awhile, the longest-lived demographic on Earth was Japanese women living in the US. As always, the secret to living a long time is mostly about not dying young.

pagnr

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #20 on: May 09, 2023, 05:56:57 PM »
There is also a strong link in the mind of the Japanese to the health benefits of Okinawan fruit and vegetables.
The Okinawan population has long life expectancies and numbers of people living to 100. That is / was even higher than mainland Japan, which is also high up on the list.

Don't put too much stock in this.

Nations play games with life expectancy (there is a fair amount of social security fraud in Japan, where many centenarians died long before, but their death went unreported in order to keep government checks coming; this skews life expectancy stats), and the entanglement between socio-economic status and life expectancy is pretty profound. As a for instance, Chinese, Japanese, and Indians in the US live longer than the average back home, in part because the ones who move to the US are wealthier than average. For awhile, the longest-lived demographic on Earth was Japanese women living in the US. As always, the secret to living a long time is mostly about not dying young.

I think it is recognised that Japan has an ageing population, that is being skewed in that direction by high life expectancy, but also low birth rates and family sizes.
The trend could have major impacts, such as population decline, reduced workforce, etc.
Robotics may be needed to replace workers in various roles.
Interesting that Okinawa has both high life expectancies and higher birthrates than the rest of Japan.

As you say, these are interesting facts, but the actual truth is probably far more complex than stats can reveal.
Anyway, "67% of statistics are made up on the spot".


eyeckr

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #21 on: May 10, 2023, 11:46:58 AM »
Thanks for the detailed descriptions Caladri. There's not a lot of first hand impressions of these fruit out there.

caladri

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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #22 on: November 07, 2023, 02:13:40 AM »
Not expecting a bunch of new stuff this season, so just tacking these on to last season's post. Maybe I'll end up happily wrong about that :)

Here's some in the Okinawan citrus, close relatives of shekwasha and oto.

  • kaabuchii (kabuchi): I was surprised by the hint of ammonia aroma in the rind, which was consistent across all of the fruit I had. My initial tasting note was "sour watermelon candy", and I sort of stand by that. Closer to shekwasha and with less of the rich taste I associate with some ripe sour mandarins. Definitely juicy and refreshing. I suspect there would be some familiar sour fruit compound in any analysis of it, maybe malic acid? I feel like you could eat a sack of these and not feel sick of sugar. Almost into hyuganatsu levels of refreshing juiciness. Faint hints of the vegetable notes of cucumber or celery you expect from some Japanese citrus.
  • tarugayou (tarugayo): Much more like oto than like shekwasha. There is a niche market for essential oil from the rind, which describes the aroma as being remarkably calming, but I found it a little elusive in mine. Definitely a nifty fruit, though. My first tasting note was "clove, vanilla," and I stand by that. Some of the same notes you find in other Okinawan citrus, just balanced differently. Speaking of balance, while the kaabuchii were very balanced with sweetness and sourness, these were not. A bit flat, almost, but not insipid. Has more of a hint of the carrot taste you get with an inferior (my opinion) mandarin, like a force-ripened Murcott, but nowhere near as insipid. Probably the best word is smooth. I'd be interested in seeing what offspring with a parent with richer flavour might be like.

My plans for the rest of the season mostly involve a lot of yuzu, some oto, and more tachibana. I definitely seem to be really enjoying descendants of Citrus ryukyuensis! If anyone knows of someone collecting wild fruit of C. ryukyuensis, I very much want to hear about it, and will eagerly buy some!! (Probably I just need to be prioritizing a trip to Japan, myself.)

gordonh1

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    • Western Washington, zone 7b/8a
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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #23 on: March 05, 2024, 01:12:51 PM »
I had the opportunity to order a box of shikuwasha / shekwasha fruits from California just recently, and I agree, they are delightful small sour citrus. Of course, I'm saving the seeds for planting and plan to eventually evaluate their cold hardiness.  One thing I noticed is that there aren't that many seeds. I found one to four per fruit. While that might have been slightly disappointing since my intention was to have seeds to plant and evaluate, it's actually an exciting thing because it means it's a lot more appealing to most people as a hand-eaten fruit.

Also, the peels contain many medicinal compounds, such as the flavonoid nobiletin - I was thinking about making a tincture by soaking the peels in vodka.

caladri

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    • Canada, British Columbia, Salt Spring Island, USDA 8b/9a
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Re: Japanese citrus I have known and loved: Winter 2022-2023
« Reply #24 on: March 05, 2024, 07:45:46 PM »
I find the peels a bit bitter in most usage, but dried and powdered they're a nice addition to lots of kinds of spice blends. I'm surprised at the low seediness, and I wonder if that's a varietal difference or an environmental one. So delighted to hear there's suppliers popping up in the US!