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.
There are two species of grape, one that originated in America and one from Europe. Kyoho is similar in many ways to the Concord, the native grape of America. It has dark skin and lighter flesh, large seeds, a distinctive flavor, and a slip-skin. This makes it very easy to peel, since the skin simply slides off the flesh. Although the flesh is very sweet, the skin and seeds are bitter and are usually not eaten.
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.
Kyohos are packed with nutrition, including heart-healthy reservatrol. Most of them are eaten fresh, but some are used for juice. There is a popular Japanese cocktail which gets its distinctive flavor from this juice. The sugar content of this fruit is very high, so keep the bunch in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve it so it doesn't spoil. Kyohos ripen quickly at room temperature and then begin to ferment.
There are two species of grape, one that originated in America and one from Europe. Kyoho is similar in many ways to the Concord, the native grape of America. It has dark skin and lighter flesh, large seeds, a distinctive flavor, and a slip-skin. This makes it very easy to peel, since the skin simply slides off the flesh. Although the flesh is very sweet, the skin and seeds are bitter and are usually not eaten.
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.
Kyohos are packed with nutrition, including heart-healthy reservatrol. Most of them are eaten fresh, but some are used for juice. There is a popular Japanese cocktail which gets its distinctive flavor from this juice. The sugar content of this fruit is very high, so keep the bunch in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve it so it doesn't spoil. Kyohos ripen quickly at room temperature and then begin to ferment.
About the Author:
When you are searching information about Kyoho grapes, pay a visit to our web pages here. More details are available at http://chfruittreenursery.com now.
