Japanese Melons: A Must-Try Fruit From Japan

In Japan, it's about quality over quantity. This notion is exhibited repeatedly in daily life, including in Japanese melon growing like Japan's square watermelon. Japanese culture loves high-quality fruits so much, particularly Japanese melons, that they have created melon pan. This Japanese sweet bread is shaped like a melon but bares no flavor similarity.

Japanese melon options are sold specifically for the gift market. Each melon is carefully grown and inspected, so only perfect melons are sold. These are not your everyday melons; they have to pass rigorous quality tests to be sold at the store. They're graded and sold for $20-$80 per melon.

So, what makes these Japanese fruits so special? Let's dig into this topic further.

Types Of Japanese Melons

There are multiple Japanese melon varieties, including Ibara, Crown, and Yubari King Melons. These Japanese fruit options are grown for a different lengths of time and with different care. These melons start from tiny seeds (different from Japanese bitter melon seeds) and grow into some of the most luscious fruit.

Yubari

Yubari melons are some of the most expensive melons available. These syrupy-tasting melons are grown in a greenhouse and only in Yubari, Japan. You can connect their high price to the fact that they're produced in smaller batches and are protected from the elements by the greenhouses. It's a melon made from two melon species – Earl's Favorite and Burpee's cantaloupes.

Crown

Crown melons are the most expensive melons in Japan. These are the highest quality you can purchase, with each melon being massaged daily. These melons are tended by hand for 100 days. The farmers also only allow one melon to grow per vine to receive all the nutrients. Expect to spend around $115 per crown melon (sometimes more!).

Ibara

Ibara melons are distinguishable by their smooth consistency and delicious sweetness. These melons are grown in the Ibaraki prefecture and are made from an impressive 400 varieties of melons.

What Flavor Is The Japanese Melon?

Imagine a super sweet melon that tastes almost like candy. That’s what Japanese melons taste like! There’s a reason these fruits are so expensive. If you’re able to, and it’s within your means, we highly recommend trying one of these delicious melons at least once in your lifetime.

Japanese Melon-Inspired Foods

If you can’t get your hands on a fresh Japanese melon, there are plenty of melon-inspired goods that you can try. There's melon pan, a sweet melon bread (like Mexican sweet bread). For a similar sweet Japanese melon bread, try the Day Plus Natural Yeast Bread: Melon (1 Piece).

You can also enjoy Japanese melon candy, like Zen-Noh Jelly Chocolate: Yubari Melon (6 Packs) or Kitamisuzuki Seika Yubari Melon Chocolate Langue De Chat (10 Pieces). Both offer a delightful chocolate flavor that accents the sweet melon taste.

Japanese melon soda is another popular treat. It’s sweet and refreshing, making it a perfect summer drink. You can purchase these items separately or get a Japanese snack subscription box to see what other melon goodies are available.

Wondering how to say melon in Japanese so you can order some delicious Japanese melon items? It’s meron. Now you can hunt for delicious recipes to make meron-inspired dishes. A melon pan recipe is currently one of the most popular dishes, and it only takes about 15 minutes to bake (after the bread dough rises)! With simple ingredients like bread flour and baking powder, you can make this sweet bread in no time. Start by making the original melon pan, then try something more adventurous like pineapple buns.

Why Are Japanese Melons Expensive?

You can see evidence of the quality by the Japanese melon price, which typically ranges from $20 to $80 per melon, with some even selling for $200! These melons are also sold at a high price because of the labor that the farmers put into them, especially considering the crown melons that are massaged daily.

The price of these Japanese melons is a combination of labor costs, quality, and availability as they're grown in smaller batches. These factors dictate the high price of the melons.

Where Can I Buy Japanese Melons?

If you're not living in Japan, you'll likely need to order a melon online. Be prepared for a higher cost (especially considering how expensive they are to ship!). If the price is not feasible, you can always try the snacks listed above. They're the most easily accessible option.

Check out Bokksu Boutique for more delicious Japanese snacks that ship right to your door! From subscription boxes to high-quality tea and home goods, Bokksu Boutique has it all.