Cucumis melo 'Yubari King' | |
---|---|
Genus | Cucumis |
Species | C. melo |
Hybrid parentage | Cucumis melo Earl's Favourite × Burpee's "Spicy" Cantaloupe |
Cultivar | 'Yubari King' |
Origin | Yūbari, Hokkaidō, Japan |
The Yubari King (夕張メロン, Yūbari Meron, Yūbari melon) is a cantaloupe cultivar farmed in greenhouses in Yūbari, Hokkaido, a small city close to Sapporo. [1]
The Yubari King is a hybrid of two other cantaloupe cultivars: Earl's Favourite and Burpee's "Spicy" Cantaloupe. [2] The hybrid's scientific name is Cucumis melo L. var. reticulatus Naud. cv. Yubari King.
A top-grade melon is to be perfectly round and have an exceptionally smooth rind. A portion of the stem, which is snipped with scissors, is left on top for aesthetic appeal. [3] Some Japanese people present Yubari King melons as gifts during Chūgen (中元). [4]
At a Japanese auction in 2008, two Yubari King melons sold together for ¥2.5 million. [5] In 2016, Konishi Seika, a fruit and vegetable market in Amagasaki, bought a pair of Yubari King melons at auction with a winning bid of ¥3 million. [6] [7] [8] In 2019 Tokyo-based Pokka Sapporo Food & Beverage Ltd bought a pair of Yubari melons at auction for the highest recorded price of ¥5 million. [9] [10]