“Tenshion Muskmelon” that focuses on taste, not size.

Shizuoka Prefecture began growing greenhouse melons at the end of the Taisho period (1912-1926) and is now the largest producer in Japan. The muskmelon, a representative luxury fruit, is sold at a high price of over 10,000 yen per piece, and has been highly popular as a standard dessert in high-end restaurants. One such melon that has been gaining popularity in Shizuoka in recent years is the “Amane muskmelon” produced by Hinon Agriculture Corporation of Hamamatsu City.
In fact, recent melon cultivation techniques have focused more on producing large fruit than on taste and quality. To achieve this, they use growth stimulants and other methods, but they have not become more popular, and the number of growers is decreasing rapidly. Thinking about the future of agriculture, I wanted to go back to basics and focus on safety and taste, even if it is small, and developed the ‘Tenshion Muskmelon.

The basis for the development was the existence of the muskmelon, which was called the “cream melon. The “Hero of Lockinge” was a white-fleshed melon of English origin whose mother was the “Hero of Lockinge,” and its taste and aroma were outstanding, but it was difficult to cultivate and the fruit was small, so it was forgotten. According to a document, the “Hero of Lockinge” was a seed that Her Imperial Highness Princess Chichibu, who was visiting England to attend the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, ordered her attendants to bring it back. Using this information, we were able to locate the preserved “Hero of Rockingji” seed and develop it. This seed was combined with a green-fleshed seed (ars fabolit) and improved repeatedly, and the result was the modern cream melon “Tenshion Muskmelon.

Muskmelon ordered by fine restaurants

Seeing is believing. President Kageyama inserts a knife into a Tenshion melon. Despite being outdoors, the melon’s sweet aroma spreads, stimulating one’s appetite. It is true that the melon is a bit small, but when you try it, the gentle sweetness fills your mouth and brings a smile to your face. It is easy to understand why many of the nation’s finest restaurants order them.

The melon has a rich flavor that is different from the melons we usually eat,” said Nakata.
That’s because Hinon Agricultural Co., Ltd. uses a “double ripening” method in its greenhouses, in which the melons are ripened on the tree, as is usually done in Japan. The company has obtained a patent for its “Double Ripening Harvest Technology. This technique stresses the fruit with moisture and condenses the rich flavor and aroma into the pulp. This technique increases the sugar content by more than 1 degree higher than the normal harvesting method, and the aroma content is dozens of times higher than that of greenhouse melons. As we toured the greenhouse and listened to explanations of the different stages of growth, we understood the amount of time, effort, and technology that goes into these melons, from watering to temperature control, and even how to determine ripeness. The ultimate melon, which not only has sweetness, but also “flavor,” “richness,” and “aroma,” is a gem created by Japanese craftsmanship.

NIHONMONO – 「にほん」の「ほんも…

果実の王様クラウンメロン「生産者 井口克彦」／静岡県袋井市 – NIHONMONO ガラスの温室から生まれる果実の王様 静岡県の中西部にある袋井市は、クラウンメロンの一大産地。ここでのメロン栽培

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Fully fermented tea “Gosekicha” for good health

There are many types of tea in Japan, but a rare fermented tea is produced in Otoyo-cho, Nagaoka-gun, Kochi Prefecture, in the middle of Shikoku. Goishi tea, a fully fermented tea that has been attracting attention in recent years as a health food rich in lactic acid bacteria, has been produced for more than 400 years in this mountain town rich in nature.

It is said that Goishi tea was introduced from China about 400 years ago. It is characterized by its unique flavor produced through a two-step fermentation process. At its peak, more than 100 tons were produced, but by the end of the Showa period, only one house was producing it, and it was in danger of disappearing for a while. But a cooperative was formed to preserve this traditional tea, and now four farmers and one corporation make Goishi tea.” (Yuji Yoshimura, Otoyo Town Goishi Tea Cooperative)

Take a sip of Goishi tea and a slightly peculiar sour taste fills your mouth. It tastes similar to pu-erh tea, a fermented Chinese tea, but it has a mellower taste, and as you get used to the sourness, the deeper taste becomes addictive. The vegetable lactic acid bacteria contained in abundance by the two-step fermentation is said to be 23 times more than that in Pu-erh tea, and since vegetable lactic acid bacteria work in the body without losing out to other microorganisms, it has a beneficial effect on intestinal regulation, hay fever, flu prevention, hyperlipemia, inhibition of arteriosclerosis, and lowering of blood pressure. The effects of plant lactobacilli have been announced at academic conferences and other occasions.

Tea that can only be made in Ootoyo Town, Kochi Prefecture

While black tea, a type of fermented tea, undergoes oxidation fermentation, Goishi tea is fermented using microorganisms. First, tea leaves are placed in large barrels along with their branches, steamed, then the branches are removed, and the leaves are spread out on mats to allow air to circulate and mold to form. In the second stage, the leaves are placed in wooden barrels for fermentation. The tea leaves layered in wooden barrels resemble “tea pickles.” These are then cut into small pieces and sun-dried to complete the Goishi tea. Due to the fermentation process using microorganisms, Goishi tea can only be made using the mats and wooden barrels from Ootoyo Town in Kochi Prefecture.

“Goishi tea is made from June to August. We choose sunny days for sun-drying, and the name comes from its pitch-black appearance when dried. When viewed from a distance, the sun-dried tea resembles a row of go stones.”

Fermenting tea using microorganisms is rare worldwide, with only a few places like Yunnan Province in China and the border region between Thailand and Myanmar known for it. Yet, in Japan, there are four production areas, and three of them are in Shikoku, which is quite intriguing.

Like many agricultural and traditional industries, the production of Goishi tea is facing an aging population, making it difficult to pass down the craft. However, once people discover its taste and benefits, I believe more fans of Goishi tea will emerge. It’s delicious and healthy. I hope more people around the world come to know about this tea that exists in Japan.

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