Fruit in Akita
We visited a ”kayuen” or orchard. I mentioned this when we wrote an article on Kazuno Hokugen peaches, but Akita has a high production of apples. Akita also falls in the top 3 for ”akebi” and a rare fruit called ”marumero”. ”Marumero” looks similar to ”karin”, has a strong fragrance, and is often used for fruit liqueur. Akita is also in the top 3 for this as well. In other words, although Akita does not have an image of being a ”kingdom of fruit”, there are actually a large number of fruit that are grown here. At Kagayakaju Orchards, they grow and sell grapes, apples and pears along with various other kinds of fruit. Also, it is a tourist spot where people can experience fruit picking at the plantation.
Debuting in 2013 – ”Shusen” Pear
We are taken on a small tour until we reach the tree we of our objective. It is the new brand of pear, original to Akita, the ”Shusen”. The day of the interview was in October. We hadn’t expected pears to be growing in abundance during this season. We picked one from the tree and ate one, and as soon as he took a bite, Nakata murmured out, ”Oh, so juicy”. This is the brand, ”Shusen”. This is an Akita original brand pear that was born in Akita, where pears were grown since the Edo period. It was distributed for the first time in 2013 and therefore is still very new. Shusen was made by crossbreeding the 2 brands, Hosui and Shinsei. What may surprise you is its size. It is double the size of Hosui and Shinsei and one is about 600g to 800g. You may doubt that such a large fruit will only taste bland, but once in your mouth, the superbly sweet.taste will spread in your mouth. It is a pear that is juicy fresh that you will thoroughly enjoy.
Good Pears Even in October!
”Shusen is not the sweetest of pears, but has great balance. I hope to produce more as I promote it to customers, ” Kagaya says.
One of the characteristics of ”Shusen” is its shipping period. Early October is not normally the peak season for pears, and it’s a little early for apples. The defining characteristic of ”Shusen” is that it is at its peak when other varieties are not.
”I love pears and eat a lot every year, but ”Shusen” stands out in taste even among the late ripening varieties. Being able to enjoy delicious pears even in October, that in itself has great meaning.” commented Nakata. ”Shusen” is still new to the market. We look forward to how it does across the country.
