You may have encountered the Japanese sensation, giant mountain grapes, without knowing what a delicacy they are. If you have seen huge, blackish purple grapes in a specialty store, you may have seen Kyoho grapes, the most popular dessert fruit in Japan. Today the ones you see might come from California.
The two original species of grape are native to the Americas and to Europe. The two species were crossed by Japanese farmers and the Kyoho was born. It has many Concord characteristics, including a dark color, pale flesh, and a slip-skin. This refers to the way the skin slides free of the flesh; peeling a Kyoho is more squeezing it out of its skin. It has large seeds, and both skin and seeds are faintly bitter. They are discarded rather than 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.
New York became famous for its Concord grape juice and jelly. The Concord is still used for commercially prepared juices and jellies, but it's not usually sold as an eating grape. People have become accustomed to the seedless varieties from California, where European varieties do better. However, these imports are not as flavorful. Most people who can at home prefer the native Concord for jelly making.
So you may find the flavor of Kyohos familiar. They taste like old fashioned grape jelly. Served alone as a dessert or paired with cheese, these Japanese fruits are sweeter than plums and almost as big. The juice is a popular cocktail ingredient in Japan. The fad for these specialty fruits caused California growers to import vines from the Far East, and they seem to be happy to be there.
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.
If serving the fruit with cheeses, chefs advise saltier ones, like the aged blue cheeses. You may want to leave the skin on if there is a display. You can advise your guests to slip the skins off before biting into the golden flesh. Seeds can be discreetly spit out into your hand or a napkin. Hey - like eating a watermelon, right?
Nutritionally this grape is great, with lots of the reservatrol that's important for heart health. Most Kyohos are eaten fresh, but they can be made into jelly, juice, or wine. They have the highest sugar content of any grape, so they should be refrigerated to keep them from fermenting. They should be chilled before serving. A bunch that seems not quite ripe can be left out at room temperature, where the grapes will quickly ripen.
The two original species of grape are native to the Americas and to Europe. The two species were crossed by Japanese farmers and the Kyoho was born. It has many Concord characteristics, including a dark color, pale flesh, and a slip-skin. This refers to the way the skin slides free of the flesh; peeling a Kyoho is more squeezing it out of its skin. It has large seeds, and both skin and seeds are faintly bitter. They are discarded rather than 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.
New York became famous for its Concord grape juice and jelly. The Concord is still used for commercially prepared juices and jellies, but it's not usually sold as an eating grape. People have become accustomed to the seedless varieties from California, where European varieties do better. However, these imports are not as flavorful. Most people who can at home prefer the native Concord for jelly making.
So you may find the flavor of Kyohos familiar. They taste like old fashioned grape jelly. Served alone as a dessert or paired with cheese, these Japanese fruits are sweeter than plums and almost as big. The juice is a popular cocktail ingredient in Japan. The fad for these specialty fruits caused California growers to import vines from the Far East, and they seem to be happy to be there.
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.
If serving the fruit with cheeses, chefs advise saltier ones, like the aged blue cheeses. You may want to leave the skin on if there is a display. You can advise your guests to slip the skins off before biting into the golden flesh. Seeds can be discreetly spit out into your hand or a napkin. Hey - like eating a watermelon, right?
Nutritionally this grape is great, with lots of the reservatrol that's important for heart health. Most Kyohos are eaten fresh, but they can be made into jelly, juice, or wine. They have the highest sugar content of any grape, so they should be refrigerated to keep them from fermenting. They should be chilled before serving. A bunch that seems not quite ripe can be left out at room temperature, where the grapes will quickly ripen.
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