Premium Fruit
Japanese gift fruit is grown to a standard closer to confectionery than to produce — melons raised one to a vine, muscat grapes eaten skin and all, strawberries grown pale. It is bought by grade and presentation as much as by weight, and it arrives in the box it was packed in.
Flavor
Aromatic and sweet without being cloying, with a clean finish. Crown melon carries the most perfume; muscat is crisper and more floral; the white strawberry is softer and gentler than a red one.
Sourcing
Crown melon comes from Shizuoka. Gift fruit travels in the grower's own presentation box, which is part of the product rather than its packaging.
Shipping Information
Packed at the market and flown overnight, held at temperature from the auction floor to the kitchen door. Next-day delivery runs to New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Atlanta, San Francisco, Orlando, Washington D.C. and Philadelphia. Other cities are quoted case by case.
