Sanbokan : Samurai Citrus
Japan’s unique and exotic citrus include ethereally fragrant sudachi and yuzu, soccerball-sized buntan pomelos, hyuganatsu and haruka whose sweet pith is edible, tiny, spicy sansho berries, and the equally ancient tachibana, which are small, very sour mandarin oranges. But among these, sanbokan (三宝柑) stands out as the most venerated by citrus connoisseurs due to its distinctive shape, exquisite flavor, and legendary role as a fruit once exclusively reserved for the enjoyment of the feudal lord and his samurai followers of the old Kishu domain—today’s Wakayama prefecture.
A sanbokan is a large, handsome fruit. Weighing around 300 to 400 grams, it has a thick, rugged skin and protruding apex that gives it the appearance of an ornament hanging on the large trees it grows on. Or, some people say, sanbokan looks like the figure of the seated Buddha (Daruma), earning it the nickname of “Darumakan,” or “Buddha Citrus.”
The skin, however, is easily pealed, and doing so reveals dense, juicy pulp filled with large seeds. Pulling a sanbokan apart or cutting it into pieces releases the fruit’s intoxicating aroma—a heady, floral scent—that pervades both the peel and flesh. Sanbokan’s juice is a refined blend of sour and mild sweetness underpinned by a lush richness. It’s a taste that’s often referred to as refreshingly elegant and noble.
Although sanbokan is related to yuzu in terms of phylogeny, it’s a completely different citrus whose origins have never been scientifically determined. Legend has it that sanbokan was found in the forests located along the southwestern coast of Wakayama prefecture by the samurai Tamenosuke Nonaka during the Bunsei period (1818-1829) of Japan’s Edo era (1603-1868). Because of its rarity, he presented it as a gift to his lord Jiho Tokugawa, the ruler of the province, who ordered that its cultivation was to be restricted to Wakayama Castle, to be shared only with his retinue, even going so far as to forbid anyone taking it out of the province.
One of Japan’s premier sanbokan farmers, Tsutomu Nomura takes care to leave one leaf on each fruit when harvesting them as a sign to his buyers of their freshness.
Today sanbokan is available for broader consumption, but remains a rare citrus. Only about 145 tons are produced annually, with over 97% of that grown in orchards that stretch from Wakayama City, the capital of Wakayama prefecture, southward to Tanabe City. While some fruit is harvested in November and December when it’s still green and then used to make jelly, sanbokan’s main season is from January to mid-May. Its peak flavor is in January and February when its skin has turned bright glossy yellow and its flesh is the most piquant. After that, the skin becomes darker, tinging to orange, and the flesh becomes sweeter and richer.
In addition to being eaten as fresh fruit, sanbokan is used in a variety of ways that take advantage of the exceptional aromatic and taste qualities of both its peel and flesh and also its large size. The peel is sliced thinly and used fresh as a garnish on dishes or cut more thickly and cooked together with seafood in simmered ones. It’s also excellent candied by itself or as an ingredient in marmalade. The juice and flesh are used to make yokan pastes, jams, and jellies, with one of the most popular dishes being sanbokan jelly presented in the fruit’s hollowed-out shell. Local chefs also use the shell as a cooking vessel and serving bowl for any number of hot and cold savory dishes. Fillings include namasu (a salad composed of thinly sliced daikon radish and carrot), chawan-mushi (savory egg custard), and, more simply, whatever kind of seafood is in season. The cook will tell you to prick or cut into the rind to release its fragrance. And they may offer you sake served in the shell, with each delicacy enhancing the flavor of the other.
One of the most popular sanbokan dishes is a Sanbokan Jelly Bowl, in which a jelly made of the fruit’s juice is served in its hollowed-out shell.