Top 5 Fruits & Vegetables You Should Try in Japan
6/17/2016
In the United States and other western countries, we are pretty used to our apples and oranges. Japan has the usual carrots celery and cucumbers, but there are a whole host of new and exciting fruits and vegetables just waiting for you to try! There are some variations on favorites from the west, and some that you may have never seen before.
Here, we will give you the short list of the Top 5 tasty, tempting produce you should sink your teeth into.
甘いも (sweet potatoes)
While the image of sweet potatoes may make many Americans yearn for the pies with marshmallows that come with the Thanksgiving feast, Japanese sweet potatoes are actually quite different. First, they are purple on the outside and yellow on the inside! Interesting, right? You can also find whole sweet potatoes in paper bags roasting on hot coals outside of many supermarkets starting in the fall. Sweet potatoes are considered a kind of seasonal treat, so you may see many Japanese people clutching their sweet potatoes while walking down the street as a way to stay warm during winter.
新玉ねぎ (new onion)
もやし (bean sprouts)
If you’re looking for a way to help your diet and your wallet, these little crunchy sprouts are the way to go. Costing only 20 or 30 yen for a big bag they are the perfect complement to stir-frys, ramen, pad thai, and so on.
なし (Japanese pear)
You may see large round brown fruit located in the produce aisle of many Japanese supermarkets. What you may not realize is these actually Japanese pears! Very different from the round-bottomed green ones in the United States, these are very sweet and perfect on top of a salad with goat cheese or as a snack. Also, they’re huge! So you can save the other half for later.
柿 (persimmon)
Perhaps the most delicious seasonal fruit in Japan is the persimmon. However, be careful. The pronunciation for this fruit, kaki is very similar to the pronunciation for the word “oyster”. If you cup your hands in the shape of a ball, the store staff will understand which “kaki” you are talking about. The key to getting the best persimmon is waiting until it has almost gone off before eating it. The beautiful and succulent meat of the fruit is a bright orange and very juicy.
One of the great things about produce in Japan is that you are usually getting the freshest, seasonal ingredients available. While these fruits and vegetables may not look exactly like they do in your own country, we hope you will enjoy the unique flavors of Japanese produce and come back for a second helping!
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