Hyacinth Bean Vine – Lablab purpureus

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Hassaku (Japanese: 八朔) is a Japanese citrus hybrid between pomelo and mandarin, with pomelo-like characteristics. The original plant was discovered near the Jyoudo temple in Inno-shima, Hiroshima prefecture, Japan.[1]

Origin

Hassaku is probably a natural pomelo × mandarin hybrid, with pomelo-like characteristics.[2] It was discovered at the Jyoudo temple in Inno-shima (now part of Onomichi), Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan by Ekei Shounin in the Edo period.[1] In 1860, it was noted and named "jagada", later changed to hassaku (Japanese: 八朔), referring to the first day of August of the old Japanese lunar calendar, when the fruit ripened on the tree.[1] According to Cécile Didierjean, who offered hassaku as an offering to the Shinto god Kôjin in Ōmi in March as a seasonal fruit.[3] Hassaku was not propagated and planted commercially until about 1925.[4]

The allele sharing test performed by Tokurou Shimizu et al. (2016) gives its progenitors: pomelo (C. maxima) and the Kunenbo mandarin (Citrus nobilis). The same results show that various citrus fruits are hybrids of hassaku (May pomelo and Yellow pummelo, with Hirado buntan pollinator, Summer Fresh with natsudaidai pollinator, Sweet Spring pollination of a satsuma).[5]

Cultivation and uses

In 2010, 68% of Japan's 35,919-ton Hassaku harvest came from Wakayama, with the remainder mainly grown in Hiroshima, Ehime and Tokushima Prefectures.[1]

The fruit is mostly eaten raw, as it becomes more bitter when cooked. Currently, the idea of using ion-exchange resin is being suggested as a way to remove the bitterness, and so make it possible to commercialize the juice. Nutritionally, the fruit is a good source of vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and fiber.

Several populations of the trees were infested with Citrus tristeza virus which caused stunted growth and destroyed the harvest after 10–15 years.[6]

An extraction from the young fruits have been used medically in skin care treatments for patients with atopic dermatitis.[1]

Others

Hassa-kun is a local mascot character which represents Inno-shima in Hiroshima prefecture to enhance image and promote tourism.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Kubo, Minchinori; Matsuda, Hideaki; Tomohiro, Norimichi; Harima, Shouichi (2005). "[Historical and pharmalogical study of Citrus hassaku.]". Yakushigaku Zasshi. 40 (1): 47–51. ISSN 0285-2314. PMID 16217907.
  2. ^ Talon, Manuel; Caruso, Marco; jr, Fred G. Gmitter (2020-01-21). "5". The Genus Citrus. Woodhead Publishing. p. 85. ISBN 978-0-12-812217-4.
  3. ^ Didierjean, Cécile (2005). "Des dons, des dieux et des hommes : les offrandes alimentaires dans le village de Himeshima". Ebisu - Études Japonaises. 34 (1): 83–123. doi:10.3406/ebisu.2005.1415.
  4. ^ "Hassaku (Beni) pummelo hybrid (CRC 3907)". citrusvariety.ucr.edu. University of California, Riverside. Retrieved 2024-06-27.
  5. ^ Shimizu, Tokurou; Kitajima, Akira; Nonaka, Keisuke; Yoshioka, Terutaka; Ohta, Satoshi; Goto, Shingo; Toyoda, Atsushi; Fujiyama, Asao; Mochizuki, Takako; Nagasaki, Hideki; Kaminuma, Eli; Nakamura, Yasukazu (2016-11-30). "Hybrid Origins of Citrus Varieties Inferred from DNA Marker Analysis of Nuclear and Organelle Genomes". PLOS ONE. 11 (11): e0166969. Bibcode:2016PLoSO..1166969S. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166969. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 5130255. PMID 27902727.
  6. ^ Walter Reuther The Citrus Industry, Volume IV, p. 102, at Google Books
  7. ^ "プロフィール" [Hassakun Profile]. はっさくんオフィシャルサイト (Hassakun Official Site) (in Japanese). 因島商工会議所 (The Innoshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry). Retrieved 2024-06-27.

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