This is the Noranouen Dry Fruits Cherry, made from high-quality cherries grown in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan’s leading cherry-producing region. Each cherry is pitted, dried, and soaked in syrup.

Measuring approximately 2 cm in diameter and 0.8 cm thick, these cherries have a dry texture, a deep red-brown hue, and a mild fruity aroma.

Upon tasting, the cherry skin yielded effortlessly to the soft yet pliable flesh inside. The skin’s fibrous texture added a pleasant contrast to the flesh’s softer consistency and richer flavour. Semi-dried, these cherries retained a juicy quality with a tender, pliable flesh, rather than the chewiness typically found in fully dried raisins. Despite resembling oversized raisins or sultanas in appearance, their flavour was distinctly cherry—offering a restrained sweetness and a lively sharpness characteristic of Yamagata’s red-blushed cherries.

Overall, these semi-dried cherries were a delightful way to savour Yamagata cherries out of season.

This Noranouen Dry Fruits Cherry contained 50 g. It was produced in Japan and purchased in Yamagata, Japan in 2024.