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 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.
This resemblance is not strange, since Japanese growers crossed the Concord with European varieties to get the big, sweet fruit that gourmets all over the world love. The fruit is served peeled, but the skin slips off easily so this is not a problem. The rich flavor also comes from its American heritage; many consider the New World native grapes more flavorful than the European varieties.
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 want to imagine the flavor of Kyohos, think of old-fashioned grape jelly. The fruit, almost as big as a plum, is carefully nurtured and ripened for the gourmet market by growers who treat the process like an art. This grape is by far the most popular of all Japanese grapes, and its juice is prized as an ingredient for a fashionable cocktail. Californians have also made the Kyoho a celebrity, especially now that it's being grown locally.
If you see the fruit in your local market, there are guidelines to getting the best of the crop. Look for bunches of big dark grapes, firm but not hard, and glossy rather than dull. You probably should avoid any with soft and badly shriveled fruits, but some fans think that a little shriveling means sweeter flesh. Once the skin is slipped off, the grape will look appetizing.
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.
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.
This resemblance is not strange, since Japanese growers crossed the Concord with European varieties to get the big, sweet fruit that gourmets all over the world love. The fruit is served peeled, but the skin slips off easily so this is not a problem. The rich flavor also comes from its American heritage; many consider the New World native grapes more flavorful than the European varieties.
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 want to imagine the flavor of Kyohos, think of old-fashioned grape jelly. The fruit, almost as big as a plum, is carefully nurtured and ripened for the gourmet market by growers who treat the process like an art. This grape is by far the most popular of all Japanese grapes, and its juice is prized as an ingredient for a fashionable cocktail. Californians have also made the Kyoho a celebrity, especially now that it's being grown locally.
If you see the fruit in your local market, there are guidelines to getting the best of the crop. Look for bunches of big dark grapes, firm but not hard, and glossy rather than dull. You probably should avoid any with soft and badly shriveled fruits, but some fans think that a little shriveling means sweeter flesh. Once the skin is slipped off, the grape will look appetizing.
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.
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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