How Japan Creates New Citrus Fruit Flavors

An incredible variety of citrus

It is said that there are over 200 varieties of citrus that can be found in Japan. Even within a single variety, you may find several different sub-varieties with names that reflect the region the particular fruit it is produced in or method of cultivation. The unquestionable leader in citrus production is Ehime Prefecture on Shikoku Island. Fruit from Japan’s ‘Citrus Kingdom’, as Ehime is often referred to, are always evolving and new varieties and cultivation methods constantly emerging. Like their names—Dekopon, Iyokan, Ponkan, Harumi, Amanatsu, Kanpei, Kiyomi, Beni Madonna (‘Ehime kasha No. 28’), Kawachi Bankan, the blood orange and the finger lime—Ehime’s citrus fruits have a wide range of ‘personalities’!

Giving life to new citrus varieties

Just how are so many varieties made? Taizo Ninomiya, head of the Institute for Citrus Fruits at the Ehime Research Institute of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, explains:

“There are two main methods for developing new varieties. The first is finding what is called a bud sport—that’s a part of a plant that shows morphological differences from the rest of the plant. The second is to artificially cross two citrus varieties. For instance, it was the crossing of the Kiyomi and Ponkan varieties that created the Dekopon (Shiranui citrus—commonly sold overseas as ‘Sumo Citrus’!)”

Around 1,000 new variety candidates are planted every year at the Institute for Citrus Fruits; only around ten will actually produce delicious fruit. Only those that can be stably produced are recognized as new varieties. It is generally acknowledged that it takes about ten years for a new variety to emerge for this reason. The Beni Madonna (‘Ehime kasha No. 28’) and Kanpei are just two varieties that emerged in Ehime that are popular, premium-grade citruses.

Citrus Sommeliers: Guides to the vast world of Ehime’s citrus

In Ehime, there is a group of citrus producers fascinated with the fruit who have started up a ‘citrus sommelier’ association. “Citrus is like a sub-culture. People get quite fanatical—the more you learn, the deeper and deeper into the subject you get!” explains Shinji Ninomiya, chairman of the non-profit Citrus Sommelier Ehime Association that first began in the Uwajima area. “You can’t just lump all citrus into the same category. It’s like wine or coffee—I want to tell everyone just how enjoyable the broad and deep world of citrus really can be!” One element of that depth is the immense number of unique varieties found in each region.


“Take the Kawachi Bankan, of which Ehime is Japan’s biggest producer, for instance. It has a particularly enjoyable sweetness and sourness to it. Then there’s others, like the Haruka, the Himekoharu, the Harehime, which is a specialty of the Seto Inland Sea region, and the unusual Yugehyokan, which is only grown in a few parts of the prefecture—I could go on, but we’d be here all day!”

Local citrus flavors from around Japan

Looking around Japan, you will find unique ‘local citrus’ varieties that can only be grown within a limited area.

“There’s fruit like the Jabara which is only found in Wakayama, Mie, and Ehime, the small Hebesu from Miyazaki, the Naoshichi and Bushukan from Kochi—there’s wonderfully unique citrus to be found everywhere. There are citruses grown all over Japan with their particular regional characteristics and it’s quite a complex world. There’s still plenty of varieties out there we don’t know about, I’m sure,” Ninomiya points out.

Foreign fruit evolving in new directions in Japan

Many citrus varieties imported from overseas are flourishing in Ehime. One of these is the finger lime, a rare and gourmet fruit originally from Australia. This unusual citrus has been eaten by Aboriginal peoples in Australia’s sub-tropics for thousands of years, but it was not until around 20 years ago when it was used by a leading French chef that it began to garner worldwide attention. Finger limes are also known as ‘caviar limes’ for their tiny pearls, possessing the same texture as caviar and which burst open with flavor when eaten. Pulp that comes in 24 shades of color also makes the finger lime an extremely attractive citrus fruit.

Finger Lime

One of the few growers of the finger lime in Japan is Takao Kajitani from Yawatahama in the southwest of Kochi Prefecture. He explains that ten years ago, you could not even procure a sapling in Japan.

“Even if someone wanted to grow finger limes, there was basically no record of anyone growing the fruit in Japan. They are rare even in Australia and it took me two years to just get my hands on a sapling here. After two years of trial and error, I finally had something I could put to market. It’s now been eight years of hard toil and a lot of mistakes since that time.”

At the moment, the only people in Japan that know about the finger lime are those with Australian connections or those who found out via French cuisine—it is still very much under the radar here. However, Kajitani has confidence in the curious antipodean fruit. “I see great potential in domestically-produced finger limes!”

“It goes well not only with French food, but it suits Japanese dishes, too. Using it as a garnish can counteract any stronger fish odors—I particularly recommend it with sea bream or tailfish sashimi. One of the characteristics of the finger lime is that it really is a treat for all five senses; it looks amazing to the eye and when you put it in your mouth, the tiny citrus ‘caviar’ balls pop open to give you a zesty blast and a flavor that surprisingly changes over time. I think it is a food with a bright future ahead of it. Some time back, a TV show came and did a feature on the finger lime. At the time, they reported it was 3,000 yen just for one. That’s why the few of us growing them are constantly looking at ways in which we can produce them in Japan so we can provide consumers with a delicious, fresh fruit that is also not going to break the bank.”

Blood Orange

Native to Sicily in Italy, growers in Ehime have been able to successfully grow and brand the sweet and delicious blood orange. With dark red pulp from which it derives its name, the blood orange has an almost peach-like fragrance and a refreshingly sharp sweetness. It is a fruit that is widely grown around the Mediterranean coast and has until recently been difficult to cultivate in Japan due to the cold winters.

“Because of global warming, the climate in Uwajima had been changing,” says Megumu Kodama, president of the local blood orange growers’ committee. “I thought because of the rising temperatures, I might be able to grow blood oranges native to Sicily here. So, I set out about 15 years ago cultivating them.”

“At first, people some would scoff: ‘Who’s going to want to eat such a weird-looking mikan (mandarin orange)?’ Still, I steadily continued to champion the blood orange, studying cultivation methods and hoping the price would also go up as a result of these efforts. In the beginning, there was just six of us growing them; now, it’s up around 300! Uwajima these days commands about 85% of the blood orange share in Japan.”

Blood oranges can be eaten as they are; they are also a great addition to a carpaccio or salad. The juice is popular as a cocktail mixer and Uwajima made the news in 2019 for successfully making the world’s first wine from blood oranges.

“What we are really aiming for is something that is delicious. It’s not just a case of pursuing something that is different or unusual. The quality of the fruit just keeps getting better and thanks to the creativity of so many chefs, the flavors can be drawn out in so many interesting ways. Japanese blood oranges are just getting started!”

Outdoing the original: The efforts of Japanese growers pays off

Citrus from Ehime have won over many a discerning chef in the nation’s capital. One such fan is Kimiaki Usuki from Italian restaurant Tsukiji Bon Marche, located in Tokyo’s Tsukiji district. Usuki asserts that the blood orange from Ehime now surpasses those that can be found in Italy.

“I trained at a ristorante in Italy and I can tell you: you can’t get blood oranges there of such consistently high quality. Ehime blood oranges had been improving, year by year. They are now at the point where they surpass those found in their native land. If you also look at the Kawachi Bankan, around ten years ago I recall them being quite sour. These days, the balance between sweet and sour is top notch. I think the sort of inquiring mind and enthusiasm that Japanese people approach things like this with really shines through.”

“I don’t think there is another country on Earth with the variety of citrus you can find in Japan. The citrus fruit here also has a strong umami flavor about it, making it so easy to incorporate into various dishes. For example, you can wrap a slice of Kawachi Bankan with fresh salmon or squeeze the juice of an orange on some pan-seared pork. Using them as a marinade for fish or an addition to a salad is also fantastic. The seasons may change, but there’s so many different citruses grown here that can be enjoyed at any time of year. We are particularly spoiled for choice in Japan!”