FARMER'S MARKET: kyoho grapes

From The Produce Hunter

KYOHO GRAPES are a Concord-like cross between Campbell and Centennial varieties. Grown and prized in Japan for their huge size and very sweet flesh, Kyohos are a blackish-purple variety with large seeds. Their high sugar content is complemented by their moderate acidity. They are one of the most widely planted grape variety in Japan, second only to the Campbell variety. In Japan, a favorite dessert is a bowl of cold, peeled Kyohos. The popularity of Kyohos grown in Japan encouraged growers in Chile and California to plant Kyoho vineyards. As a result, we have access to this specialty grape several times a year.

So there's the gist. I first saw them at the market last summer, sold destemmed and in big plastic bags and stored in ice chests. Seemed like a lot of labor for a grape. After seeing them continually disappear from the one stand carrying them this season, I decided to give them a go.

Now they sell them on the stem, which makes them a more familiar produce. Previously, they reminded me of big bags of black tapioca boba. Stems and leaves apply a less synthetic esthetic, which I think appeals to the usual market goer more than the probably more convenient pre-prepped food. I'll admit to being one of those people.

The grape reminds me of the small seedy grapes my grandfather used to grow on the side fence of his yard. My cousins and I would eat them up each summer, fully staining our Sunday best and everything within reach. But nostalgia doesn't speak to the flavor, which is nothing short of divine.

The grape I tried was seedless, unlike the variety mentioned above, with a thicker-than-supermarket skin. Also unlike your usual supermarket grape, the kyoho grape's skin is an integral part of the grape's overall flavor, imparting a contrasting tang to the orby meat in the center.

The center of the grape slips free from the skin with light pressure from your teeth and has a compact and slippery spherical quality. Biting down on it releases a gush of juice, very sweet and almost musty. An uber-grape. You could probably juice it like a concord, but you'd miss out on the juxtaposition of the tangy skin. Plus, there is something slightly sensual about rolling the fruit around on your tongue. Wouldn't want to miss out on that either.

I can see why this is a popular fresh eating late summer grape. Storage of this soft beauty would be an issue. In fact, I wonder how exports from here and Chile to Japan succeed. The stems I saw at the market were individually tissue-wrapped and lovingly set into their bags by an attentive vendor. They would pair well with a soft lemon custard or on a cold cream tart. But I think the Japanese have the right idea: raw, cold, and straight into the mouth with nothing to interfere.