Exclusively developed and grown only in Kanagawa Prefecture, the Shonan Gold externally resembles a lemon. However, it has a refreshing sweetness to it, with a hint of tartness. The inner flesh looks closer to that of an orange, and there are also few seeds.
Originating from the Kanagawa Agricultural Technology Centre in Odawara, cultivation of the fruit began in 1988, then went through various selection and propagation processes until 1999 to establish stability of its characteristics. Shonan Gold was produced from a hybrid between two other Japanese citrus fruits known as the Ogonkan (or ki-mikan), and the Imamura Unshu, which is a variety of the satsuma mikan.
This delicious fruit ripens between March to April and its flavor lasts through May. Kanagawa accounts for 100% of the production of Shonan Gold, with major producers being Odawara and Yugawara Town. With a low production volume, it is also sometimes known as a “phantom orange.”
Source: japantoday.com
