Haruka Citrus from Japan - a most unique citrus fruit

I tried another interesting Japanese fruit variety called Haruka Citrus (はるか柑橘), imported by a Japanese fruit specialist at a Japan fair in Takashimaya. This variety has a bit of a special shape, with quite a number looking like an upside-down light bulb. It is also almost lemon-yellow in shade, with the slightest hint of orange. Even the pulp of the fruit looked more like lemon than any other mikan or orange I've tried (pictures below), unlike most other citruses which tend to have more reds and orange in their hue.

It was discovered in Ehime Prefecture as a new variety, and turned out to be a hybrid of the hyuganatsu and natsudaidai. (However, it did not taste like online descriptions of natsudaidai at all.)

The most interesting thing is that it is almost not sour at all, just a balanced and fragrant honey-like sweet citrus taste. It reminded me of honey lemon drinks, just without a hint of sourness. In that sense, it seems closer to the hyuganatsu, which people describe has mostly sweet with a tinge of sourness. It also did not have any tinge of bitterness that I noticed, unlike yuzu or some descriptions of the natsudaidai.

Furthermore, the pith (the white part) was extremely soft, so the skin was super easy to peel away from the wedges. It did not cause the wedges to split or the pulp to come out at all.

This precious and unique citrus is only available during late winter to spring months - February to March, although you can get them from retailers as late as April. So if you happen to see them, grab them before they are gone!

Discover other premium Japanese fruits

• Oushuu Pear (King Autumn Asian Pear) from Tottori Prefecture, Japan
• Tamura Mikan, or Imperial Mikan, from Wakayama Prefecture 
• Shinano Gold Apple from Aomori, Japan
• Gourmet Tomato Sampling (Japanese-Grown Varieties) - Amela, Rubins, Bijin, Rosso Napolitan and more
• Premium Furu Furu Kumamoto Strawberry from Japan - most intense but balanced strawberries I've tried
• Yamanashi Summer Angel Plums

Juices of unusual fruits

• Buah Long Long Juice
• Sanbokan Citrus Pure Squeezed Juice by Ito-noen, from Arita, Wakayama, Japan
• Acai Juice

Interesting fruit-flavoured treats

• Gardenia Pear Flavoured Caffe Latte by Luckin Coffee
• Brown Sugar Plum Latte by Luckin Coffee
• Kuzukiri Jelly Noodles in Fruit Juice by Ohara
• Triple Berry Chocolate Gouter de Roi Rusk by Gateau Festa Harada
• Unusual fruit flavoured soymilks
  Kyoho Grape Soymilk
  Kiwi Fruit Soymilk
  Fig Soymilk
  Nashi Pear Soymilk
• White Peach Castella by Minamoto Kitchoan