Tart kogyoku apples
長野に来てからの毎年の楽しみは紅玉りんごです。長野はリンゴの王国で、色んな種類がありますが、私が一番好きなのは甘酸っぱい紅玉です。そしてリンゴ畑で取り立てで食べたら、一番酸っぱくておいしいです。
紅玉はアップルパイに会うので、この時期は亀清の板長が紅玉入りのアップルパイをデザートで出しております。
10月が終わったら紅玉も終わって、今度はふじりんごが出始まります。今はその甘酸っぱい紅玉のチャンスです。
亀清旅館・上山田温泉から車で5分でりんご農園は沢山あります。私達が付き合っているのは下記です:
宮下農園 Tel (026)275-3356
クラウン農園 Tel (026)275-0929 http://www.sky.hi-ho.ne.jp/crown-farm
紅玉の気が段々と少なくなっている中で、この農家の両方ともちゃんと守っています。数量が限られているのでお早めに!
Back in the States, I grew up with granny smith apples. I always loved their tart flavor. Here in Nagano, we are fortunate to have 'kogyoku' variety of apples. They are tart, just like granny smiths. Kogyoku season is one of the things I always look forward to since moving to Nagano.
Kogyoku is sort of a heritage variety of apples, and is slowly being replaced by newer varieties that are more disease resistant and travel better. But for me, their tart taste makes kogyoku my favorite, and it doesn't get any better than picking one from a tree and eating it right then and there.
Just a quick 5 minute drive from our onsen town, Togura-Kamiyamada, are several apple orchards. At one, Crown Farm, English and German is spoken. The Tobita's still have a few kogyoku trees as well as lots of the new varieties. The kogyoku season runs through October but keep in mind, availability is limited. From November, the orchards shift to their mainstay fuji apples.
Crown Farm Tel (026)275-0929
http://www.sky.hi-ho.ne.jp/crown-farm
In honor of the apple season, our chef here at Kamesei is baking apple pies for our guests for dessert. Right now he is adding kogyoku apples into the mix -- their tartness providing just the perfect touch.
