(Photos and video by Shoji Kudaka)
On a rainy day in late May, I visited Agarihama Ichiba, a local farmer’s market in Yonabaru Town. In search for some seasonal produce for a summer recipe to try, I had tomatoes, goya (bitter melon), or gumbos in mind. However, a shelf at the market filled with round, dark red fruit soon caught my eye.
It had been a while since I’d had the flavor-packed passionfruit. Though I still didn’t know what the recipe would be, I couldn’t help but grab not one, but two bags of the tropical fruit for about 600 yen (approx. $4.50) each.
In all, I had about 10 passionfruit to use for this summer recipe. However, before I could get to figuring that out, I quickly cut into one to taste the brightly-colored, seedy flesh with a spoon. I think the best way to consume fruit is raw, so I definitely needed to sample the main ingredient first.
The juicy fruit’s flavor was so exquisite, I could have eaten all of them just like this, but I continued my search for a good recipe idea to try. Eventually, my spoon stopped and my eyes widened when I stumbled across a picture of bread topped with passionfruit jam online.
(Photo by Shoji Kudaka)
Just looking at the yellow jam dotted with black seeds shining on a loaf of bread almost made me drool. I knew I had to have this.
Soon, I had a pot bubbling with the yellow passionfruit flesh and sugar not knowing how this would turn out. The sweet and sour scent in the kitchen was intoxicating and a quick taste of the jam in progress was all I needed to know I was on the right track.
The jam had a strong punch of taste accentuating the fruit’s signature sweet and sour taste. The black seeds added a nice texture, which I could hardly stop chomping on. It took me just about 20 minutes in total to cook the jam and the results went way beyond my expectation.
When it was ready, my parents and I nearly spoiled our appetites because we could not stop enjoying the jam on baguette slices. But it was dinnertime, so we decided to save the rest for breakfast.
The passionfruit jam was so good, we even kept talking about it over dinner! And we looked forward to the tasty meal we’d have the next morning.
In Japan, you’ll find passionfruit in Okinawa, Kagoshima, and Ogasawara Islands, which are known to produce this tropical fruit. While it is in season on Okinawa from February through July according to Japan Agriculture Co-operatives (JA), Kagoshima’s season is from May through August, according to the prefectural government. The Ogasawara Village Tourism Bureau said the islands there harvest the fruit from April through early July.
Passionfruit is not necessarily commonly available at local grocery stores unless you live in the areas mentioned above. Chances are you’ll need to go to a dedicated fruit shop such as Sembikiya and Ichifuji Fruits to get one. So, if you ever see them at a store, make sure you grab some and cook a batch of jam for your next brunch. I’m sure you and your family will love it, too!
Passion Fruit Jam
*This info is based on a recipe by Cookpad.
Ingredients
Passion fruit (8 pieces)
Sugar (90 – 120 cc)
Recipe
1. Slice passion fruits in half.
(Photo by Shoji Kudaka)
2. Scoop up the seedy flesh and put it in a pot (I removed cotton-like texture to make the jam smooth).
(Photo by Shoji Kudaka)
3. Add sugar and heat the mixture over medium heat. Continuously stir the mixture so that it will not burn.
(Photo by Shoji Kudaka)
4. If you prefer not to have seeds in the jam, take them out by scooping them up with a tea strainer.
(Photo by Shoji Kudaka)
5. Simmer it for about 5 minutes. Remove the foam from time to time.
(Photo by Shoji Kudaka)
6. Put the jam in a jar. *Sterilize the jar in boiling water beforehand.
(Photo by Shoji Kudaka)
7. Try it with baguette bread for a tropical breakfast. いただきます！
(Photos by Shoji Kudaka )
