Fruits of Okagaki 2: Giant grapes raised with Chinese medicine!?

Hello again, and welcome to the second part of my delicious coverage of the fruits of Okagaki! We are now in the middle of July which coincides with the start of the local grape season, so what better topic for today's blog? The most talked about grapes in town would have to be the Kanpo Kyoho (漢方巨峰), a large and juicy sphere of healthy happiness! The name includes "Kanpo" which means "Chinese medicine" and "Kyoho", the name of a grape variety first crossed into existence back in the 1930s, and subsequently becoming widely produced around Asia and in some parts of other countries such as Chile and the US. Kyoho is a large, dark purple-colored grape that is very juicy and sweet, and when summer rolls around, they are often eaten skinless and chilled. 

The Kanpo part of its name refers to the fact that they are raised organically with the help of Chinese medicine formulations which replace traditional chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Whether this practice influences their flavor or nutritional profile, I am not sure, but it nevertheless is nice to have a local organic option! I don't know how common it may be in your country, but some fruit farms in Japan host "Fruit Hunting" days where they ceremoniously mow down a row of fruit trees with a Gatling gun**......no, that's not right...where they open the farm up to the general public and, for a given price, offer a fruit picking experience where you get to take home what you harvest! This is offered for local fruits such as mikan (mandarin/tangerine) and grapes, so if you like what you have read here about the organic Kanpo Kyoho, then I would certainly recommend a sojourn out to the local vines!

In the next blog, I want to move onto a different topic about Okagaki, but I may come back to talking about fruits and/or other local produce should something inspire me. Thanks for reading and see you next time!

**I couldn't resist the joke, but in the interest of providing fair and just information, the Japanese term 狩り (kari; hunting) used, in what I have (too) literally translated as "Fruit Hunting", refers to hunting in the traditional sense (hunting down and killing animals or enemies), BUT interestingly also works as "hunting" in the sense of "searching out and getting", much like English makes sense of the word in terms such as "Treasure Hunting". Another example of interesting similarities found between Japanese and English.

Fruits of Okagaki Part 1: Loquats and Strawberries

Hello all. Over the next couple of entries I will be talking a little bit about the splendid fruits that you can enjoy in Okagaki, Fukuoka. 

                                                                     Takakura Loquat

Having a temperate climate makes it ideal to cultivate a variety of popular fruits in the prefecture. I guesss it would be remiss of me to not start this entry by introducing the Biwa (loquat) first, it being the inspiration for our town mascots! So the loquat has been grown in Japan for an estimated 1000+ years, and is thought to have originated from cooler, hilly regions of China. It is a small, orange-yellow stone fruit about the size of a plum, with a slight pear-like shape. They grow in panicles and are very delicate, so it is common practice to cover the fruit with paper bags while they are still ripening on the branch. This, however, will not protect them from the clever crows of the region as many of the locals will attest, with the sight of loquat seeds on the roofs of houses being common in at least one part of town apparently, haha. 

As for the eating of our town mascot, you could eat the skin and all if you wash them well enough, but most peaople peel them, which is thankfully very easy. The skin peels away beautifully and stays intact very well so it only takes a matter of seconds. You could then pop it into your mouth or cut it into pieces and eat it that way. The flesh is soft and very juicy and the flavour is very reminiscent of persimmon. You feel very refreshed after eating a couple! The brown seed/s on the inside are similarly sized to lychee seeds, though in my experience there can be multiple (2~4), sometimes fused together. Kind of strange looking! 

                                                 Video introduction to Okagaki Loquat

The popular local variety is called Takakura Biwa (高倉琵琶), which I am assured is highly regarded in the loquat world, and I have cause to believe it, not only because I enjoyed eating them, but also for the fact that high end patissieres have been using them in cakes. In fact, there is a limited edition Takakura Biwa and lemon jelly shortcake available at Cafe comme ca, that looks absolutely delightful, and will set you back a whopping 1,100 yen (~USD$10) for a slice or 11,000 yen (~USD$100) for the whole cake! Very luxurious.

                       Limited edition Takakura Loquat and Lemon Jelly Shortcake ($USD100!!)

Apart from the fruit, the leaves of the loquat plant are also used in making tea! It is supposed to be really healthy for you. From what I have heard though, the tea product you can buy off the shelf is not particularly tasty, though preparing some from freshly harvested leaves improves its flavour significantly. 

Amaou strawberry

 A variety of strawberry known as "Amaou", which is produced only in Fukuoka prefecture, is extremely well regarded and is well-known throughout the country and overseas. Amaou are a lovely red colour with a healthy sheen, are plump, and due to them being raised in colder seasons, ripen slower giving them a long time to store energy, aka delicious sugars, to produce a beautifully sweet and flavourful fruit. In fact, the Amaou variety holds a Guiness World Record for being the world's heaviest strawberry!

 According to my English conversation students (average age 60~70), local strawberries were not always cultivated at these times of the year and this is a relatively modern practice, which struck a chord with me, because I always thought (in Australia at least) that strawberries were produced in the warmer months! There are a number of local growers in Okagaki and I always look forward to the winter/spring season when I can buy them on the same day they are harvested while they are at their best. You should eat them within 2-3 days, which I don't think will be a problem for anyone that enjoys strawberries as much as myself!

In the next entry I will tell you about the famous Kyoho grapes, which are raised in an interesting way in Okagaki! Please look forward to it! 

Okagaki Town

Hello all, Daniel here once again (and for the first time in many years!!).

Over the next few posts, I would like to talk about the town of Okagaki, Fukuoka Prefecture. So, I finished up as an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) on the JET (Japan Exchange & Teaching) Program in 2014, and in 2018, found myself back on it again, this time as a CIR (Coordinator of International Relations). Over the last almost 3 years, I have been doing my best introducing Australia and the world through cultural events, weekly culture and English classes, and through a monthly column in the local town magazine. As part of my job (and hobby), it is about time I reflect back on what I have learnt and experienced here, and convey stuff about Japan to the wider world!

                                                          First week on the job in 2018

Okagaki is a town of roughly 30,000, sandwiched between the 2 largest cities in Fukuoka, namely, Kitakyushu city and Fukuoka city. It belongs to the Onga district which comprises 3 other towns including Mizumaki (famous for gigantic garlic and tomato ramen), Onga (famous for its river) and Ashiya (famed for a long history of traditional metalworking/smithing). Okagaki itself is probably best known for its production of the popular Takakura Loquat, and speaking of, the town mascots are a cute boy and girl loquat, haha. Their names are Biwasuke (the boy) and Biwarin (the girl) and they love each other, it is adorable! The "Biwa" part of the name is the Japanese for loquat, a small, oval shaped fruit that is a yellow-ish orange and tastes similar to persimmon, though has a softer texture. 

           View of the Hatsu coastline, northern Okagaki                        Biwasuke & Biwarin

Being conveniently situated between these larger cities and close to the ocean to boot, Okagaki in the past had branded itself as a "bed town", a settlement for workers and their families. In recent decades, however, Okagaki has taken on a life and character of its own, graduating from bed town status and putting much energy into its developlment, making strides in advancing its cultural, agricultural and tourism sectors. Over the next few entries I intend to dive a little deeper on each of these 3 aspects, so please look forward to that!

Thanks for reading!