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March 15, 2023
YAMAGATA — At an event held in the city in February, three new sweets were introduced that were developed to enhance the appeal of Obanazawa-zuika watermelon, a local delicacy widely grown in and around Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture.
The city, in collaboration with the Michinoku-Murayama Japan Agricultural Cooperative and others, has created sweets such as sherbet, jelly, and baumkuchen cake so that summer fruits can be enjoyed all year round.
A local food processing company and a market research firm provided guidance on the development of sweet recipes. Sorbet and jelly are made from watermelon juice mixed with lemon juice to reduce the strong melon flavor. Sophisticated methods have been used to preserve the refreshing taste of watermelon. Sweets use watermelons that cannot be sold due to visible defects such as holes, but otherwise have the same sweetness and flavor, so using them to make sweets helps reduce food waste.
Baumkuchen cake uses watermelon flavored pale red cream instead of the juice in the middle, making it similar to Obanazawa-zuika watermelon. It is made from powdered Yukikirari brand rice, also grown in the city.
“You can just smell the watermelon. All three are well done. I hope someday in the future they will be served in restaurants in the city,” said the development manager.
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