Visit Hokkaidō and the fruit you’ll find taking pride of place alongside the abundant seafood is the Yubari King, a cantaloupe cultivar farmed in greenhouses in Yubari, Hokkaidō. The whole melons command prices anywhere between ¥8,800 to ¥18,800 ($AU100 to $AU230) at fresh food markets, with ¥3.2 million (the equivalent of $AU38,000) for two Yubari King melons being the record set at auction. The melons are often presented as gifts during summer in Japan for the tradition of ochugen.
This Hori Yubari Melon Pure Jelly Petit Gold is a jelly made using the flesh of the Yubari King.
The jelly was awarded the Gold Quality Award by Monde Selection for five consecutive years (2003-2007).
Made from the flesh of Yubari King, the jelly does not market itself as having the bouncy mouthfeel of konjac-based jelly. Rather, it sells itself as emulating the texture and flavour of the melon itself and is best eaten either chilled or frozen. The jelly is an opaque orange colour with a mellow aroma of ripe cantaloupe.
Served chilled, the jellies have the same distinctive melt-in-your-mouth quality as the melon itself. From the moment the jelly enters our mouth, it releases a mellow fragrance and rich flavour that recreates the sensation of eating a Yubari King at peak ripeness and juiciness, but in a neat and convenient jelly cup. The flavour was characteristically cantaloupe – unctuously sweet with an undertone of acidity. Served frozen, the jellies hold their shape with a slight bounciness and a more velvety texture, while the concentrated cantaloupe flavour was more mellow as it’s released more slowly.
This Hori Yubari Melon Pure Jelly Petit Gold contained 12 pieces of 16 g each. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Hokkaidō, Japan in 2018.