From Boxing Pumpkins to cheerful Satsumas, a trip down the produce aisle in a Tokyo supermarket can put a smile on your face as Japanese Supermarket Stars: Veggie Characters! on PingMag shows.
Satsumas as I learned are mandarins (originally grown in Japan and China). They are resistant to cold. Trees produce white blossoms in March/April and their skin turns bright orange in October when they are ripe. As far as taste goes the fruit is juicy and very sweet, low in acid, and almost seedless, with an average of only 1.5 seeds per orange versus as many as 30 in other varieties.
I gathered most of these Satsuma facts thanks to a paper from Texas University.
Even creators of Anime get a shot at having kids eat their vegetables as displayed in the piece with ‘Nako-chan’ the cheerful aubergine (eggplant) from Kochi Hyakusai.
I picked the Japanese version of Mr Potato Head as an illustration though.
PingMag also mentions Myoga (also known as myoga ginger), a perennial used in Japanese cooking as the inspiration for the most popular character. Beware of its carcinogenic properties.
Read the Myoga Tasting Notes by Santos on The Scent of Green Bananas.
La Faim…Tokyo Thursday #11
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