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.
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 more interesting varieties of fruits and vegetables
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