samedi 7 janvier 2017

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 grape is a familiar fruit to Americans. In fact, one of the two families of grape is native to the Americas; the other kind comes from Europe. The Kyoho grape shares many characteristics with our native Concord variety. Each has a dark purple color, pale yellow flesh, and a slip-skin, which readily separates from the flesh. Both kinds are seeded. When both are eaten, the bitter skin and seeds are usually discarded.

Size and sweetness come from the European side. There is a seedless type of this popular grape, but purists say it doesn't have the flavor of the original. As a dessert, the fruit is served peeled and chilled in a bowl.

The East Coast grape industry was founded on the Concord grape, but growers in California found that European vines did better in the California climate. Since most of our table grapes come from the Golden State, people have become accustomed to seedless greens and reds. However, many prefer the native kind for jelly making; although the skin and seeds are bitter, they impart distinctive flavor to the jelly.

If you can remember the taste of old-fashioned grape jelly, you have an idea of what the Kyoho tastes like. Most of the fruit grown in Japan and elsewhere is eaten peeled and chilled as a dessert. California growers have successfully imported and propagated the Kyoho vines and are now marketing this prized fruit.

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.

These grapes are packed with nutrition, including the reservatrol that is said to be so heart-healthy. They are mainly eaten but can be turned into jam, juice, and wine. They have a high sugar content, so keep them refrigerated until ready to serve. They are usually served chilled. If you get a bunch that is not ripe, just let it sit at room temperature and the grapes will ripen quickly.




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