BERKELEY (KCBS RADIO) – The famed Japanese "black watermelon" is now being grown in California and Washington – and is likely being sold in a Bay Area super market near you.
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The ones grown on the West Coast are called Yumi, which means "abundant beauty." The seedless summer melon was once grown solely in Japan, but is recently has been sparsely produced in the U.S.
"So black watermelons became immensely popular in Japan," Chi Dixon, a spokesperson with Berkeley Bowl West, which is selling the premium melon, told KCBS Radio. "There was a record for one being set for one being sold for $6,100 in 2008."
The variety grown stateside sells for much less, though it features a similar appearance. Despite its namesake, the melon itself isn’t really black inside or out.
"There's more of a dark, dark green," Dixon said. "A typical watermelon will have dark or light green stripes. This one is almost completely dark green with slightly darker green patches."
And the fruit is heavier than you would expect.
"So if you look at this and you think it's going to weigh five or six pounds, and you pick it up it’s closer to 10 pounds," she said. "It's a think, dense heavy watermelon,” she said.
It's an incredibly fragrant melon and is known for its intense sweetness.
"You can smell it from the minute you cut it open. If you've thought what watermelon smells like, that’s what hits you, as soon as you cut into it," Dixon explained. "When you take a little bite into it, it's super sweet and super juicy. It's almost like one of those fresh fresca drinks that you can get with the fresh watermelon."
She added that you still use the same clues for choosing the right watermelon.
"It's still got that field mark if you’re familiar with that, that yellow spot that develops when you get it out on the field that tells you whether or not it's white."
If you want to try one, hurry. Yumis have a fairly short growing season. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, they're expected to be available through Labor Day.
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