What's in season
As you may know, I love fresh food and usually grow some of my own, or shop at farmer’s markets whenever possible. So naturally one thing I love about Japan is the freshness of the produce (and fish!) — since the entire country is smaller than the state of California, anything grown in Japan is basically less than a day’s drive from your plate.
At the grocery store I try to stick to what is in season locally, which right now is a lot: cucumbers, carrots, sweet potato (satsuma-imo), kale, bok choy, spinach, green onions, okra, corn, peaches, pears, grapes, apples, lotus, and rice!
One of the most iconic fall foods is chestnut. Throughout Japan you can find chestnut ice cream, chestnut jelly (a cubed dessert), and something called Mont Blanc or Monburan …which is chestnut puree in the form of a noodle (pictured on the KitKat package below)
Another very popular flavor is plum. Especially pickled plum (umeboshi), which according to wikipedia, “are a popular kind of Japanese tsukemono ('pickled thing') and are extremely sour and salty… it is believed to be a digestive aid, for prevention of nausea and systemic toxicity, including hangovers…and may combat fatigue (historically given as part of a samurai's field ration) and protect against aging.”
If you ask M, who purchased a pickled plum rice ball at 7-Eleven one day, it shouldn’t be eaten at all!
Fortunately we loaded up on fresh fruit this weekend! I had marked pear season on my calendar, and this was the week to do it — so I dragged the family out to a co-op of orchards in the nearby mountains. The first thing we noticed was the sweet smell of grapes in the air. It’s the very end of the season and they are very ripe!
As we approached the orchards we could see that every bunch of grapes and every pear was individually wrapped in a wax paper bag. This level of care is typical in Japan. The culture values a high standard of excellence and a respect for all things. Every single pear is treated with care.
Unlike fruit picking in the US where you are sent freely into the fields, here the farmer escorted us and showed us exactly where and how to pick the fruit. He showed us what to look for (when the bag is tight around the fruit it is large enough to pick), and how to carefully tip the stem up towards the branch until it releases from the tree.
The picking fee was $10 per bag, and they told us we could only select 5 pears for each bag. At first I was surprised, but then I realized that only 5 pears fit in a bag! Each one practically requires two hands, and weighs nearly a pound.
The variety we picked is called "20th century" and is one of the most popular in Japan. They are sweet, mild, and incredibly juicy. You can probably find them in the grocery store (or sometimes farmers market) in the US, and if you do, give them a try! (though you may have to pay over $5 for one).
The orchard we visited still had some grapes too. We did not pick those ourselves, but we did bring a couple bunches home with us. They are giant as well and incredibly sweet and juicy, but the skins are not edible. The kids did not like the texture, so I made grape juice instead — it only took 20 grapes to make 8oz of juice!
As the weather begins to cool over the next few weeks (maybe… hopefully…) I can put some more plants in my garden too! I acquired a raised bed from a fellow military spouse who was moving away, so I plan to grow peas and lettuce in there.
Happy Fall! 🍁🌰🍠
Oh that grape juice looks so good! What a cool adventure 😎
such wonderful experiences!