Tsutomu Nomura : Sanbokan Farmer
From the middle of January to the end of February, Tsutomu Nomura can be found, nearly hidden, in the thicket of his sanbokan citrus orchard harvesting fruit. Although the fruit’s season runs from the beginning of January through mid-May, he’s one of sanbokan’s premier farmers and his sole client—Iijima Shoten, Japan’s top maker of sanbokan jellies, jams, marmalades, and candies—wants sanbokan at their peak flavor: when the fruit’s heady floral scent and uniquely sour-mildly sweet, lusciously rich flavor are their most exquisite.
It’s a precarious task. The orchard is situated on steep slopes, and the large trees, many of which are over seventy years old, means he must climb up onto their sturdy but thorny branches. He balances himself carefully so as to keep both hands free; one he needs for holding the fruit, the other he needs for clipping it from the tree so that one leaf remains attached to a bit of stem, which will indicate to his client its freshness.
Tsutomu’s orchards are located about ten minutes by car from Tanabe City, a small port town located on the southwestern Pacific coastline of the Kii Peninsula in Wakayama prefecture. The town is known among travelers for being the starting point of the main trail of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage routes to the venerated Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples on Mt. Koya. Called the Nakahechi Route, it’s also known as the “Imperial Route” because it was the way Japan’s emperors and nobles made the trek some 1,000 years ago. Presumably it’s also because it’s the most beautiful trail, quickly ascending through the deep forests of the steep, creviced foothills behind the town whose spiny ridges foreshadow the spectacular mountains beyond.
Tanabe City is also the center of commercial activity for the myriad fruit grown in the region, being especially famous for its “Nanko-Ume," which are considered the highest quality plums for making the country’s iconic ume-boshi (salty-sour red pickled plums.)
While Tsutomu also farms ume plums, his passion is the much less-known and consumed sanbokan. It was only about 100 years ago that sanbokan became broadly available to the public. Prior to that, it had been the exclusive citrus of the lord of the Kishu domain (today’s Wakayama prefecture) and his samurai followers until Japan’s feudal order was disbanded in 1868. By the 1940s, sanbokan experienced a boom in popularity as people heard about it and wanted to taste the once forbidden fruit. Its novelty, however, subsided by the 1970s, around the time that Tsutomu joined his father in the orchards, eventually taking them over with the help of his wife.
Tsutomu says that the decline was due to people’s preference for the many new hybrid sweet citrus that were being developed, particularly ever sweeter mikan oranges. Sanbokan’s flavor, on the other hand, he says, is an “adult” taste and reflects the fact that it is an ancient type of citrus.
The sanbokan tree is native to Japan, originally found growing wild in the forests of Wakyama prefecture. It is a hardy tree and one that is relatively easy to grow. Still, Tsutomu maintains his orchards with Zen-like discipline. They are clean and well ordered; the trees pruned to perfection. He also works with a strong sense of samurai duty and upholding a tradition. In fact, the way he describes the mutual benefit of being a contract farmer to a leading food maker is reminiscent of how sanbokan was once both an exclusive and protected citrus of the feudal lord. Without this patronage an heirloom citrus like sanbokan might go out of existence.
Find a recipe for Sanbokan Jelly Bowl here.
Fortunately, sanbokan hasn’t, and today is increasingly being sought after by chefs and home cooks across Japan who make use of both the fruit’s thick fragrant skin and delicious flesh. In addition to candied peel and marmalade, they’re using the hollowed-out shell as a cooking vessel and serving bowl for all kinds of winter seafood dishes and refreshing desserts.
To Learn More About Sanbokan, Contact:
JA Kinan (Japan Agricultural Cooperatives - Kinan Branch)
3-22-19 Takao, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture 646-0028
Tel: +81 (0739) 25 4611
Web : www.ja-kinan.or.jp
Where To Buy
During sanbokan’s season, you can find the fruit, freshly-squeezed juice, and artisanal sanbokan food products at shops and roadside stands throughout the Tanabe district. An especially wide selection is available at the Japan Agricultural Cooperative Farmer’s Market, which is conveniently located in the center of the town of Tanabe.
JA Kinan Farmer’s Market Kisaikan (ＪＡ紀南ファーマーズマーケット紀菜柑)
752-1 Akizu-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama 646-0005
Tel: +81 (0739) 81 0831
Web: www.ja-kinan.or.jp/kisaikan.html
Business Hours: 9:00-18:00 year-round (except for year-end and New Year holidays)
How To Use
For more information about the culinary uses of sanbokan, see our article Sanbokan : Samurai Citrus.