Fall Harvest

This time of year in the US…or at least in my area of the US brings lots of fall/harvest related activities. You can go on hayrides, sit around a bonfire with your friends and roast marshmallows, go to a pumpkin patch and pick out a pumpkin or two to harvest and carve for Halloween, go to an apple orchard and pick apples from the trees, perhaps traipse through a corn maze or a "haunted trail," drink apple cider…and well, you get the picture. All of these things on top of the changing of the seasons and it being birthday season in my family make this time of year one of my favorite times of year!

Here in Osaka, Japan, the summer has slipped gradually and seamlessly into fall. The temperatures have cooled down and most days the sky is a crystal clear blue. It makes getting out of Osaka and sightseeing a bit or finding a bit more rural place to hike a very desirable option.

Of the things mentioned above that can be done in the US, one of the things I haven't done in what feels like ages is apple picking or pumpkin harvesting. There is something so nice about seeing your food (or future piece of Halloween art) in nature, and knowing exactly where it's coming from. It reminds you of what food really is and how we were intended to nourish ourselves. For that matter, it is possible in other seasons to harvest other fruits - I remember picking strawberries with my mom and sister in the late spring years ago.

Here in Japan, you can do the same types of things in different seasons. One thing that Japan does well is to market tourism at home to Japanese people. This land is so diverse and different regions have so many different things to offer, so just because you are Japanese or live in Japan, by no means do you know or see everything this country has to offer by staying in your own prefecture or region. Seasonally, catalogs are released filled with pictures and information about things to do in different regions - festivals, highlights, vacation options, etc. - and depending on the season, a list of farms where you can harvest your own produce for a small fee. Although it might cost a bit in travel, once there, the cost of food from farmer to consumer directly is a good deal less than what you would find in a supermarket. Plus you get the experience of being with friends or family and interacting with the locals - definitely worth the cost of travel in my opinion!

This season, one of the things to harvest in my region are さつまいも(satsumaimo), or rather, sweet potatoes! Each plot is 250YEN or you can buy 5 plots for 1200YEN and whatever is there is yours to keep. There is a bit of chance involved as you never know if there will be one small potato attached or maybe 3 large ones, but it is fun digging for your "treasure" and being surprised to see what comes out.

If you were to come to Japan and do this, I would recommend finding a Japanese speaking friend to come along (whether they are Japanese or a foreigner) and in any case to call ahead to see which days and what times the farm is open for business. The catalogs give you the season of harvesting and where the farm is, but I don't think they necessarily tell you the operating hours. Case in point, I did this excursion with my friend Natalie and new acquaintance Mayu. We went to a farm in Ibaraki-shi, which is halfway between Osaka and Kyoto on the Hankyu line. The farm itself is another 40 minute bus ride up into the mountains. We walked from the bus station up the hill and passed another farm where an old couple were tending to their crops. Mayu stopped them and asked if this was the right direction and they said yes, but they didn't think they were harvesting that day. Oops! We trekked up there anyway and saw the stand and cafe closed and no one picking. We started to get a little nervous and we asked a couple of the locals who were out and about what the deal was and they told us, yes it was closed - they are only open on Saturday and Sunday!! But they also pointed the way to the farm owner's home so we went over and knocked…but to no avail. No one was home at the moment. Just when we were starting to wonder if we really had travelled all that way for nothing, the owner pulled up (this is where having a native helps). Mayu spoke with them - told them we had come from America and really wanted to have this experience as part of our Japan trip. What she didn't say, of course, is that our Japan trip is a year long! Natalie, was ready with apron on and we just smiled (I'm sure it didn't hurt that Mayu is about as cute as they come). The farm owners took pity on us and let us dig! YAY!!! We had the farm all to ourselves.

I went first, then Natalie, and lastly, Mayu. We each came out with a fair few satsumaimo, but Natalie's were the biggest of all. After unearthing our edible treasures, we kindly thanked them for allowing us to dig on their day off and the woman who lived there and was part owner came out with kaki (persimmons) for us!! I'm willing to bet not too many people are in the US are familiar with persimmons. At least where I'm from, they aren't offered in grocery stores usually. I also bet fewer of you have actually tasted a persimmon. My grandmother has a persimmon tree in her yard and when I was younger, in late summer/early fall, if we would visit, I'd either get to pick some or taste the fruit of my grandmother's labors and boy is it sweet and delicious! They have to be ripe though. If they aren't ripe enough, they taste bitter and gross and sort of almost numb the inside of your mouth. If they are ripe, they are VERY tasty. I highly recommend them!

So after a good 40 minutes or so at the farm and laden with our goodies, we paid the farmers and they even gave us a lift down to the bus station so that we could catch the next bus and not have to wait an hour more for the next one. It was a very enjoyable day and if I'm here next year, I'd like to do some research and do some more picking in different seasons - maybe get some grapes and pears in the late summer/early fall! Below are some pictures of my adventure with Natalie and Mayu. Hope you enjoy.

So, the next few weeks will be adventures in cooking sweet potatoes! If anyone has some recipes or suggestions, leave me a comment! And Happy Autumn, everyone!!