Introducing The Great Mountain Kyoho Grapes Of Japan

By Ryan Anderson


A prized Japanese fruit is becoming a sensation around the world as people become familiar with it. Kyoho grapes are plum-sized, delicious, and distinctive. You may have seen them: great big glossy dark purple fruit that comes in bunches but seem way too big. Today this recently developed grape is cultivated in many countries, including China, Korea, Chile, and the US - California, to be exact.

The two original species of grape are native to the Americas and to Europe. The two species were crossed by Japanese farmers and the Kyoho was born. It has many Concord characteristics, including a dark color, pale flesh, and a slip-skin. This refers to the way the skin slides free of the flesh; peeling a Kyoho is more squeezing it out of its skin. It has large seeds, and both skin and seeds are faintly bitter. They are discarded rather than eaten.

This resemblance is not strange, since Japanese growers crossed the Concord with European varieties to get the big, sweet fruit that gourmets all over the world love. The fruit is served peeled, but the skin slips off easily so this is not a problem. The rich flavor also comes from its American heritage; many consider the New World native grapes more flavorful than the European varieties.

New York became famous for its Concord grape juice and jelly. The Concord is still used for commercially prepared juices and jellies, but it's not usually sold as an eating grape. People have become accustomed to the seedless varieties from California, where European varieties do better. However, these imports are not as flavorful. Most people who can at home prefer the native Concord for jelly making.

So you may find the flavor of Kyohos familiar. They taste like old fashioned grape jelly. Served alone as a dessert or paired with cheese, these Japanese fruits are sweeter than plums and almost as big. The juice is a popular cocktail ingredient in Japan. The fad for these specialty fruits caused California growers to import vines from the Far East, and they seem to be happy to be there.

If your local market has these delicacies, there are some tips to selecting the ripest, freshest fruit. The best bunches are well-shaped, with grapes of almost uniform size. They should be dark blackish purple in color, and glossy, not dull. The fruit should be firm, not hard like a rock. According to some, you should avoid bunches with soft or shriveled fruit, but others find that a little shriveling of the skin, which will be discarded anyway, makes the inside sweeter than ever.

The grapes are striking on a cheese board, and they pair well with blue and other rich cheeses. You will have to advise your guests to slide the skin off of each big grape before eating. Seeds have to be discretely spit into a napkin or your hand; they aren't sticky, so that's OK.

Nutritionally this grape is great, with lots of the reservatrol that's important for heart health. Most Kyohos are eaten fresh, but they can be made into jelly, juice, or wine. They have the highest sugar content of any grape, so they should be refrigerated to keep them from fermenting. They should be chilled before serving. A bunch that seems not quite ripe can be left out at room temperature, where the grapes will quickly ripen.




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