Founded in 1918 in Shinmachi, Aomori, Okinaya is renowned for crafting Japanese sweets using locally grown Aomori apples. The Okinaya Usu Kurenai is one of its signature confections.
This confection features Kōgyoku (Jonathan) apples from Aomori Prefecture, prepared by candying apple slices in sugar and slowly drying them to create a soft-dried fruit.
Each piece consisted of a single apple slice, approximately 7 cm in diameter, 0.9 cm thick at the edge, and 4 mm at the centre. It retained the apple’s original form, with its skin intact and a light dusting of powdered sugar on the surface.
The Kōgyoku apple had a mellow aroma. On tasting, the powdered sugar provided a delicate sweetness, while the flesh, though dry to the touch, yielded easily with a firm softness. It had the concentrated flavour of an apple that was once crisp and juicy, with pronounced sweetness balanced by bright acidity, delivering an intensely pure apple taste. The skin added a slightly fibrous texture along with extra apple flavour, though the retained core introduced fibrous bits that did not contribute much to the taste.
Overall, the Usu Kurenai had a rich, well-balanced apple flavour with a semi-crisp texture, explaining its long-standing popularity.
This Okinaya Usu Kurenai contained 1 piece. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Aomori, Japan in 2024.