Delhiites enjoy sweet, juicy Japanese apples (りんご), peaches (桃) at “Japanese Fruits Showroom” event

NEW DELHI: Japanese apple (りんご) and peach (桃) cut-pieces, Capreses, Hawkers’s rolls with peach roasted butternut squash, and Peach roasted lobster with braised radish with Hokkaido bread were some of the offerings at the “Royal” treat a select group of Indians enjoyed in New Delhi recently. If that’s not all, the Peach bakewell tart, Apple Victorian trifle, Peach Battenberg cake, Apple Jam cookies, Apple and peach sundae, and  Millionaire’s shortbread added to the thrill of participants that included Indian fresh fruit importers, and chefs, managers of 5-star hotels.

The occasion was “Japanese Fruits Showroom” – a Japanese fruits tasting event organised the Embassy of Japan, and Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) – a Japanese government-run organization to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and foreign countries, like APEDA.

Japanese apples are a rare commodity in India so far as India recently only approved import of these sweet and real juicy fruits from Japan. The first shipment is likely to arrive in India by this  year end. Japanese peaches are also coming to India for the first time.

Japanese apples are known as RINGO (りんご), and peaches as Momo (桃) in Japanese. Some of the varieties of Japanese apples are so sweet that they car called Honey apples or Honey Fuji apples and are mainly exported during November to January of the year. Some varieties of Japanese apples contain density of very sweet nectar. Harvesting of the early-maturing apples however, begins in August.

Japanese peaches are also well known. Chef Dominique Corby, One-Star-Michelin Chef, said “A Japanese peach has a wonderful fragrance, the hardness and sweetness is just right, making it good for eating raw, but also beautiful when it’s cooked.

Weekend Recipe: Japanese apples and peaches:

Japanese apple (りんご) and peach (桃) cut-pieces,

Capreses, Hawkers’s rolls with peach roasted butternut squash,

Peach roasted lobster with braised radish with Hokkaido bread

Peach bakewell tart, Apple Victorian trifle, Peach Battenberg cake,

Apple Jam cookies, Apple and peach sundae, and  Millionaire’s shortbread

Now, Japanese peaches are enjoyed not only in Japan. One of the peaches introduced in this event is sold at over 3,000 INR / KG in Japan and exported to countries in East Asia and South East Asia.

Some participants said, “The apple is so crisp and juicy.”

“I eat a Japanese peach for the first time. It’s excellent, and the size of the apples and peaches are much bigger than what I have ever seen, but they are sweet and juicy,” said another participant from Delhi.

Takashi Suzuki, Chief Director General of JETRO, New Delhi, said “India has been importing apples and peaches from the United States and other countries, but not from Japan. But Japanese apples and peaches have unique features, so I am sure that the Indian people will enjoy and love them”.

Japanese apples that come from Aomori prefecture are well known as attractive around the world in terms of its quality, taste and beautiful appearance.

As Jammu & Kashmir is known for producing quality apples in India, Aomori prefecture caters to more than half of the total Japanese apple production in Japan and is best known for huge apple orchards here. Aomori grows more than 50 million tons of apples a year.

The recent event in New Delhi witnessed apples from M.V.M. Shoji co. Ltd. from Aomori prefecture while Aomori Trading Co. Ltd., from the same prefecture had brought the first trial shipment of apples to India in February 2020. A total of eight trial shipments have arrived in India so far.

Related article: India approves import of Japanese apples (Ringo), first shipment to reach by year-end