A delicacy straight from Hokkaido: the Yubari Melon -Ken's Travel Photo Diary-

Hi all, Ken here!

Japan is obsessed with brand names. Even certain fruits and other food items can be more expensive if they have the right name on the label. Hokkaido which is the northernmost island of Japan is famous for good seafood and abundant firm ground. People say most popular fruit in Hokkaido is melon from Yubari city. The melon from Yubari is called “Yubari melon (夕張メロン)” , and it is a praiseworthy branded melon. They're basically Rockmelons (or known as Cantaloupe), but Yubari melons are a very high-end type and far superior in quality and taste to a typical rockmelon and the taste is great as the  melon melts in your mouth as soon as you eat it.

Because of their superior quality in product & expensive price tags, the average price for the Yubari label is 6,000yen – 15,000yen and it price record at auction was established in 2008 at 2.5 million Yen for one set of two melons. The successful bidder says he will exhibit the most expensive melon on the internet auction. The best season to try this superior quality melon is around July and August. Yubari melons are often given as expensive souvenirs.

I recommend you to taste it when you visit Yubari. The melon was so perfectly round in shape; the flesh was rich in bright orange colour, and so juicy, sweet and succulent! It is an amazing experience that you should never miss in life! Actually even the 1,000 yen ones are pretty amazing. If you feel like spending some serious cash on a melon you can get one that was grown in a box so that it comes out square. Or if you're like me you're content with the round ones as long as it's so juicy you have to eat it standing over the sink (and they usually are). Japan's melons are sugoi oishii.

Map of Yubari city: