Dekopon デコポン

It's officially dekopon season!  Dekopon are the sweetest, juiciest citrus you will ever have the pleasure of consuming.  It's like someone took a tangerine and jumbofied it.  Delicious!

The story goes that back in the 70s the Japanese were trying to create a citrus that could compete with navel oranges.  Scientists worked hard crossing this fruit with that, but the results were paltry at best and the experiment abandoned.  But not all hope was lost!  A farmer from Kumamoto stole a branch from one of the experimental trees and started his own experiments.  Soon, he got this fruit yielding to commercial levels, gave it a vaguely sexual name, and ever since it's been a big success!

How to Prepare
Peel and devour!

Easy Dekopon Recipe

To be honest, a dekopon rarely makes it outside of its rind before I've destroyed it in my mouth.  But on the off-chance you do have dekopon laying around, here's a great and super easy recipe.

Dekopon and Honey Jello
Makes 2 servings

Prep Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 2 dekopon
• 5 grams powdered gelatin
• 1 - 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 dash lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water

Preparation:
1. Mix 2 tablespoons water with the powder gelatin.  Mix well.
2. Peel dekopons.  Break into segments.  Take 3/4 of the segments and remove the pith as well as you can from the segment.  Cut into bite-sized chunks.  Set aside.
3.  Juice the remaining dekopon segments into a measuring cup.
3. Add lemon juice and enough water to the dekopon juice to equal 300mL or 1 1/4 cup.  Pour the juice mix into a small, microwave-safe bowl.
4. Add honey, 1/2 teapoon at a time, and mix well.  Add honey until desired sweetness is achieved.
5. Microwave the dekopon mixture for one minute.  Add gelatin to the heated mixture and whisk until gelatin has dissolved.
6. Fill a large bowl with ice water.  Place the small bowl with the jello into the ice bath.  Stir the jello occasionally.  Once jello begins to jiggle, remove the bowl from the ice bath.
7. Layer the chunks of dekopon and jello into small glasses.
8. Finished!

Kaki 柿

If you're in Japan, by now you've seen a bajillion persimmon trees around town and if you're lucky you'll start seeing the fruit appear on your desk too.  Persimmons have a thick skin and sweet, almost creamy inside that lend themselves well to dessert dishes.  They're also a nice accompaniment to braised pork, salads, and other savory dishes you would put apples or cherries in.  Traditionally in the US persimmons would be used to make a baked pudding, similar to fruitcake.  Japanese persimmons are high in vitamin C and fiber so they make a good breakfast choice.

How to Prepare
You can just bite into one like an apple or slice it up and enjoy the slices if you want a fast snack.  Otherwise you treat it the same as an apple in cooking.  Most persimmons you buy in the store will be seedless or have tiny seeds, so you generally don't need to worry about deseeding them.  Just cut off the top and start cooking!

Easy Persimmon Recipe

This is a recipe that a middle school girl I used to tutor many years ago taught me.  I'm amazed I was able to find it again!  To make your pudding extra fancy, cut off the tops of the persimmons and hollow out the insides so that they become little cups.  Fill the cups up with the warm pudding and place in the fridge to set.  Impressive presentation that takes little effort!

Persimmon Tapioca Pudding

Serves 4-6

Prep Time: About 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1 cup small tapioca pearls
• 4 cups milk or coconut milk
• 2 large, ripe persimmons, the insides scooped out and chopped (or peeled and chopped if you're not making the cups)
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
• pinch turmeric (for color) OPTIONAL

Preparation:
1. In a large pan, soak the tapioca pearls in the milk for about 40 minutes.
2. In a small saucepan, add the cut persimmon, cinnamon powder, ginger and 2 tablespoons honey, and place the pan over heat. Stir well, cover and cook on low till the fruit softens. Remove from heat and put aside.
3. Place the pan with the tapioca soaked in milk over heat along with 2 tablespoons honey and the cardamom.  Bring everything to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 5-7 minutes, stirring all the time.
4. Add 3/4 of the cooked persimmons along with the turmeric and continue to cook till the tapioca pearls are completely done and the mixture has thickened. Keep stirring frequently.
5. Spoon into bowls or persimmon cups. Top with the reserved cooked persimmons. Serve warm or chilled.
6. Finished!

Yuzu 柚子

When I first heard of yuzu, it was in the form of some not-so-pleasant cough drops.  The second time I heard of yuzu, it was in an even worse yogurt concoction.  As a result, I stayed away from yuzu for a long time and that's a shame!  As it turns out yuzu is a delicious citrus that can easily take the place of lemon in most dishes.  Kind of a cross between a lemon and a grapefruit but sweeter, yuzu is what gives ponzu sauce its zip.  You can also find candied yuzu peels in the yuzu sodas popular in Japanese cafes and one of my favorite drinks to indulge in.  Right now you can buy big bags of yuzu for cheap at the farmer's market in Japan, making it a delicious treat.

How to Prepare

Look for fruit that has a firm rind but slightly gives when pressed on.  It should also be very fragrant and be free of large, black blemishes.  Just like any citrus, you just cut it open and squeeze out the juice.  You'll find that yuzu tends to have more pith and less juice than lemon.  The zest is also great for flavoring dishes.

Easy Yuzu Recipe

I remember as a little kid receiving a copy of Felicity's Cookbook (remember the American Girl dolls that were all the rage?) and the first thing I made from it was the syllabub.  Syllabubs were all the rage in England and its colonies before the advent of ice cream.  Now what makes a syllabub different from a mousse I have no idea but syllabub is a fun word to say so I'm sticking with it. 

Yuzu Syllabub

Serves 4

Time: About 10 minutes 

Ingredients:

• grated rind and juice of 2 yuzu
  
• 4 tablespoons sweet white wine 甘口ホワイトワイン
  
• 6 tablespoons superfine sugar 上白糖
  
• 300 ml heavy cream 生クリーム

Preparation:

1. Warm the sugar, juices and zest gently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to cool slightly.

2. Add the wine to the yuzu mix and let sit for one hour.

3. Whip the cream to soft peaks.

Tip: To make your life easier, place a metal bowl in the freezer until time to whip the cream.  The cold bowl makes whipping much faster. 4. Fold in the wine mixture. 4. Pour into glasses and chill well. 5. Serve decorated with freshly grated yuzu rind.

6. Finished!

One of the easiest desserts you'll ever make and so delicious!