acerola

Acerola is a fruit that contains an exceptionally high amount of vitamin C—more than 30 times that of lemons by weight. For this reason, it’s known as the “king of vitamin C” and is recognized as a fruit that’s in season during the summer. Its main places of origin are the West Indies and tropical America, and because ripe acerola bruises easily, it is said that it is rarely distributed fresh on the market.

conger eel

“Hakarime” is an alternative name for conger eel used in Futtsu City, Chiba Prefecture. It was named because the vertical stripes on its body resemble the scale markings on a balance used in fish markets. It is considered to be in season in summer and is delicious when prepared as kabayaki or tempura.

Solid black

In the past, watermelons—which are very popular in summer—did not look like the green, striped ones we see today. The current appearance became widespread around the early Showa era. Before that, a type called “tetsu-kabuto” was common. The tetsu-kabuto variety is solid black with no pattern.

Molokhia

Since molokhia (Jew's mallow) seeds contain toxins, you should be cautious when eating molokhia grown in your garden. They contain cardiac glycosides, which have a strong cardiotonic effect, and accidental ingestion can cause poisoning symptoms such as dizziness and vomiting.

black

The colors of fireworks are produced by chemicals such as metals emitting light at high temperatures, but black is considered impossible with current technology because it is extremely difficult to render within flames. Therefore, black fireworks do not exist.

pistil

The “silk” on corn is actually the pistils, with each strand extending from a single kernel. Since each strand produces a kernel, the more silk there is, the more kernels there will be. When buying fresh corn, choose ears with lots of silk—those will be packed with kernels!

eggplant

In Japan, eggplants have long been cultivated as a healthful food. During the Edo period, it is said that the calyx of eggplants, charred until black, was used as toothpaste. The calyx was believed to be effective for periodontitis and mouth ulcers, and it was used as a folk remedy.