dekopon
{{Short description|Variety of orange}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Dekopon
| image = 不知火 果実.jpg
| image_caption = Dekopon on tree
| hybrid = Kiyomi x ponkan
[(C. unshiu x sinensis) x C. poonensis]
| species =
| origin = developed in Japan in 1972
}}
File:Shiranuhi - Dekopon - citrus blossom - Kanagawa - 2025 March 13.jpeg
{{Nihongo|Dekopon|デコポン}} is a seedless and sweet variety of satsuma orange.
It is a hybrid between Kiyomi and ponkan (Nakano no. 3), developed in Japan in 1972.{{cite web|url=http://www.fruit.affrc.go.jp/KIH/data/kankitu/shiranui.html|title=Shiranuhi (不知火)|language=ja|publisher=National Institute of Fruit Tree Science|access-date=2010-03-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101106212628/http://www.fruit.affrc.go.jp/KIH/data/kankitu/shiranui.html|archive-date=2010-11-06|url-status=dead}}{{cite journal |url=http://agriknowledge.affrc.go.jp/RN/2010632160.pdf |title='Shiranuhi', A late-maturing Citrus Cultivar |year=2001 |volume=35 |pages=115–120 |journal=Bulletin of National Institute of Fruit Tree Science |language=ja |first=Ryoji |last=Matsumoto |publisher=National Institute of Fruit Tree Science}}
Originally a brand name, "Dekopon" has become a genericized trademark and it is used to refer to all brands of the fruit; the generic name is {{Nihongo||不知火|shiranuhi or shiranui}}. Dekopon is distinctive due to its sweet taste, large size, and the large protruding bump on the top of the fruit.
In Brazil, dekopon is marketed under the brand name of Kinsei. In the US, the dekopon was released as a commercial product under the name "Sumo Citrus". In South Korea, dekopon is called hallabong (한라봉).
Names
The name is most likely a portmanteau of the word deko (凸, デコ; meaning convex) as a reference to its bump, and the pon in ponkan (ポンカン; one of the fruits that it is derived from) to create "dekopon" (デコポン).
There were many market names for dekopon during the time the name was a trademark of the product from Kumamoto. For instance, himepon was the market name for the fruits originating from Ehime prefecture. The ones grown in Hiroshima prefecture were marketed as hiropon. After an agreement whereby anyone could use the name "dekopon" by paying a fee and meeting certain quality standards, the name was used for the fruit no matter where it came from in Japan.{{cite web|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2009/01/22/reference/dekopon/#.WwWvOnibGf0|title=Dekopon|last=Gordenker |first=Alice |date=22 January 2009 |website=The Japan Times|access-date=17 December 2020}}
'Dekopon' does not have an agricultural variety registration number (Nōrin Bangō){{cite web |url=http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail/?id=95&vm=02&re=01&new=1 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906113039/http://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/law/detail/?id=95&vm=02&re=01&new=1 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 6, 2012 |title=Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act: Article 18 (Variety Registration) |publisher=Ministry of Justice }} because of its bump, which at the time of its development was considered to be unsightly, and failure to reduce acidity in the fruit.{{cite web|url=http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/publication/news/18/18_02.pdf|page=2|title=NIFTS News No.18 |publisher=National Institute of Fruit Tree Science |date=2007 |language=ja |access-date=2010-03-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722104916/http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/publication/news/18/18_02.pdf |archive-date=2011-07-22|url-status=dead}}
Cultivation
The fruits are usually grown in large greenhouses to keep them at a constant temperature, and are harvested from December to February (winter in Japan). In the case of garden farming, they are harvested from March to April.{{cite web|url=http://www.maruka-ishikawa.co.jp/fruits/items001/dekopon.htm |title=Dekopon |language=ja |publisher=Maruka-ishikawa}} After harvesting, dekopon are usually left for a period of 20–40 days so that the levels of citric acid in the fruit decrease, while the sugar levels increase to make a more appealing taste to market. Only fruits with sugar level above 13°Bx and citric acid below 1.0% can be sold with the name dekopon.{{cite web |url=http://www.zennoh.or.jp/zennoh/TOPICS/APRON/ap-zen-01-090123/PMakely.html |pages=2–5 |title=Dekopon |language=ja |publisher=Zen-Noh (National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations) |date=January 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090703142744/http://www.zennoh.or.jp/ZENNOH/TOPICS/APRON/ap-zen-01-090123/PMakely.html |archive-date=2009-07-03}}
|}
Outside Japan
In Brazil, dekopon is marketed under the brand name of Kinsei which derived from the Japanese word for Venus. Brazilian farmers have succeeded in adapting the variety to tropical to temperate climate in the highlands of São Paulo state. The work was done by Unkichi Taniwaki, a farmer of Japanese origin.{{cite web|url=http://iptdajatak.com.br/jatak/bulletins/display/9|title=Launching Ceremony Of Tangor Kinsei|date=24 October 2007|publisher=Instituto de Pesquisas Técnica e Difusões Agropecuárias da JATAK|language=pt|access-date=20 March 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090507180401/http://www.iptdajatak.com.br/jatak/bulletins/display/9 |archive-date=7 May 2009|url-status=dead}} Kinsei is easily harvested from May to September. In the high season for kinsei, each fruit costs around US$0.50 at the Brazilian street market and supermarkets.{{Cn|date=January 2021}}
In South Korea, dekopon is called hallabong (한라봉) after Hallasan, the mountain located on Jeju Island where it is primarily grown.{{Cite news|last=이|first=시연|date=November 27, 2017|title=요즘 많이 먹는 귤, '족보' 따져 보니…|work=조선일보|location=South Korea|url=https://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2016/11/24/2016112401608.html|access-date=April 14, 2021}} They were introduced to Korea from Japan in 1990.{{Cite web |title=한라봉 - 디지털제주문화대전 |url=https://jeju.grandculture.net/jeju/toc/GC00702541#:~:text=1972%EB%85%84%20%EC%9D%BC%EB%B3%B8%20%EB%86%8D%EB%A6%BD%EC%84%B1,%ED%95%9C%EB%9D%BC%EB%B4%89%EC%9D%B4%EB%9D%BC%EA%B3%A0%20%EC%83%88%EB%A1%AD%EA%B2%8C%20%EB%B6%88%EB%A6%AC%EA%B2%8C%20%EB%90%98%EC%97%88%EB%8B%A4. |access-date=2024-09-03 |website=Encyclopedia of Korean Local Culture}}
The citrus budwood was imported into the United States in 1998 by a California citrus grower, Brad Stark Jr. The rights to the sterilized budwood were purchased in 2005 by the Griffith family, owners of the nursery TreeSource and packing facility Suntreat.{{cite web|url=http://www.griffithfarms.com/AboutUs.aspx |title=The History of Griffith Farms |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203193253/http://www.griffithfarms.com/AboutUs.aspx |archive-date=2015-02-03}} The dekopon was released as a commercial product in the US under the name "Sumo Citrus" in early 2011.{{cite news |last=Karp |first=David |url=http://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-dekopon-20110217-story.html |title=The Dekopon arrives in California |work=Los Angeles Times |date=2011-02-17 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318003828/http://www.latimes.com/food/la-fo-dekopon-20110217-story.html |archive-date=2015-03-18 |access-date=2015-02-03 |quote=I first heard about the Dekopon in December 1998 from Brad Stark Jr.}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/food/2022/mar/31/sumo-oranges-fruit-sensation-trader-joes|title = How one determined Trader Joe's shopper made this ugly orange go viral|website = TheGuardian.com|date = 31 March 2022}}
Others
Dekopon have become so popular in Japan that the chewing candy brand giant Hi-Chew (ハイチュウ) has released a limited-edition dekopon flavor.{{cite web|url=http://www.morinaga.co.jp/cgi-bin/company/newsrelease/mrg_cmp_readnews.cgi?no=81&view_y=2005 |publisher=Morinaga & Company |script-title=ja:『ハイチュウ＜デコポン＞』 新発売！ |trans-title=Hi-Chew
In commemoration of the 15th anniversary of the first shipment of dekopon, Japan Fruit Growers Cooperative Association designated 1 March "Dekopon day" in 2006.{{cite web |url=http://www.nichienren.or.jp/home/topic/decopon.htm |title=Dekopon day |publisher=Japan Fruit Growers Cooperative Association |language=ja |access-date=2010-03-22 |archive-date=2021-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210925011804/http://nichienren.or.jp/home/topic/decopon.htm |url-status=dead }}
See also
{{Portal|Food}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- [http://www.sumocitrus.com Sumo Citrus]
- {{youtube|E1ztUz7wPro|Hallabonq / Dekopon - Dünyada cəmi 5 ölkədə, o cümlədən Azərbaycanda əkilən meyvə}} {{in lang|az}}
{{citrus}}