【Product name】
Steuben（Luxury grapes）
【Type】
Vitis L.
【Producing area】
Aomori Prefecture
【Origin of the name】
There is a town of the same name in Oneida County, New York. It seems to be named after Baron von Steuben, a Prussian general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War. I'm not sure, so it might be better to contact the Agricultural Experiment Station.
【Major features】
“Aomori Prefecture” is located in the northernmost part of Honshu（Oshu: Generally refers to Mutsu Province (the Prefectures of Aomori, Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima）, Japan, and is famous for its role in supporting the foundation of agriculture.It is divided into three areas, Tsugaru, the southern part, and Shimokita, based on the historical background, and it still looks strong and clear. The teachings of our predecessors, who have built their own culture based on the local climate, history（Dating back to the middle of the Jomon period, from B.C. 3000 to B.C. 2000, the remains believed to be the trace of large-scale hottate bashira have been excavated at the Sannai-Maruyama site. On the other hand, rice-paddies did not spread in the Nansei Islands and Sakhalin/Hokkaido, therefore, the Shell mound period and then the Gusuku period followed the Jomon period in the Nansei Islands and Post Jomon period then Satsumon period followed after the Jomon period in Sakhalin/Hokkaido (Although there was an example of a rice-paddy during the early Yayoi period shown in the Tareyanagi site in Aomori Prefecture, rice-paddy cultivation also did not widely spread in Tohoku region in Honshu until the middle to the late Yayoi period and some theoretical views that Post Jomon period followed as in Hokkaido.)）and climate, are still warm. The forest area occupies about 66% of the total land of the prefecture. There are many active volcanoes such as Mt. Iwaki, Mt. Hakkoda, and Mt. Osorezan. The Ou Mountains run vertically in the center, and from the Hakkoda Mountains, which is the northern end of the Mountains, to the Natsudomari Peninsula. It is divided into the eastern part (south of the prefecture) and the western part (Tsugaru) with the central mountain range leading to the western part of the Shimokita Peninsula as the boundary. In the southwestern part, the Shirakami Mountains, which has been registered as a ‘World Natural Heritage Site’ as the world's largest virgin forest of fagus crenata blume, is colored. The Tsugaru Peninsula can be seen north of the Tsugaru Plain, and Tappizaki can be seen at the northern end.Japan's largest sand hills, Sarugamori sand, continue for 17 km along the Pacific coast, and the largest Ogawara lake in the prefecture (62 km2). From the north to the Shimokita Peninsula, Omazaki welcomes you to the northernmost tip of Honshu. Surrounded by the Sea of Japan, the Tsugaru Straits and the Pacific Ocean on three sides, the total coastline is approximately 796 km. It holds Mutsu Bay, which is a large inner bay, in the center: As a production area for farmed scallops（Mizuhopecten yessoensis（Emishi）(Jay, 1856)）, it is entertaining tourists and others.In the surrounding area, the tsushima current moves northward along the sea of Japan, and a part of it enters the tsugaru strait and becomes warm current, moving southward in the Pacific Ocean. Offshore, this Tsugaru warm current, the “Oyashio” Current from the north, and the “Kuroshio（Black）” Current from the south continue to collide over time. A lot of plankton that feed fish are generated in the sea area where they collide with each other, and many fish gather and a rich fishing ground prospers. The climate varies greatly depending on the region, especially the heavy snowfall in the Tsugaru region in winter and the Pacific side in summer; The easterlies (Yamase) is a typical difference. In the emotional winter, cold and moist air hits the Ou Mountains and snows in the Tsugaru region. On the Pacific side, I hear from residents that there are many dry sunny days with the Ou Mountains as a barrier. Since summer is cold and moist, there are many cold and humid days on the Pacific side. You can enjoy the beautiful natural environment because the changing seasons are clear. Aomori Nebuta (the nighttime festival in Aomori) (Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture) : A total of more than 2 million tourists visit each year, and it seems that the voice of joy can be heard so far（A summer festival to be held from August 2nd to 7th）; The three major festivals in the Tohoku region（The six festivals are the Aomori Nebuta Festival, the Akita Kanto Festival, the Morioka Sansa Odori Festival, the Yamagata Hanagasa Festival, the Sendai Tanabata Festival, and the Fukushima Waraji Festival）. It is said that it is a variant of the Tanabata festival lanterns, but its origin is unknown to its predecessors. “Tanabata Festival” that came from China during the Nara period (710-794) + The customs that have been in Tsugaru since ancient times and events such as sending spirits, dolls, and sending insects are integrated. It is speculated that when bamboo and candles became widespread, they became lanterns, which changed into dolls and fan “Nebuta”. The Tanabata Festival is a Misogi（Ablution）event that drains dirt into rivers and the sea on the night of July 7. However, there also exists toro which are used indoors as on a Buddhist altar, such as oki-doro (one variety of nonbasic-type ishi-doro, which has no sao and therefore whose chudai is directly mounted on a natural stone serving as a base, note: the term “nonbasic” means that any of the basic parts of ishi-doro, that is, hoju, kasa, hibukuro, chudai, sao and kiso, is missing) and tsuri-doro (hanging toro), as well as being a portable toro for use in a festival (such as one used in Nebuta Festival, which is held in Aomori Prefecture, and Yamaga road used in Kumamoto Prefecture). Shed the lanterns and prayed to her ancestors for a disease-free life. Folklore distribution and dialectology such as Tohoku region, Shinetsu region “Nemburi sink”, Kanto region “Nebuchi sink, Neboke sink, Nemutta sink”; Nebuta: Ritual to banish the sleep demon (esp. in Tohoku). The honey is marbling and the sweetness is very strong and very rich. Other folk events having a characteristic of the preliminary celebration include events of literally, rice planting in the garden such as 'literally, race planting in snow' in Yoshida, Yokote City, Akita Prefecture and 'Enburi (a rice planting dance named after a tool for rice field preparation)' in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture. Over again, 'Lake Towada and the Oirase-gawa River' ranging from Akita Prefecture to Aomori Prefecture is designated in the two categories of 'Special Places of Scenic Beauty' and 'Natural Monuments' for its values. Vitaceae includes not only grapes, wild grapes, ampelopsis glands, treebines, and ivy, but also weeds such as Cayratia japonicum. It is a vine or herb that is eventually vine and has tendrils and suckers with altered stems. Most of the plants of the Grapes family become woody vines, but the herbaceous roots that die above the ground every year, the herbs that do not make vines, or the Cissus modesta, which originates in Southeast Asia, are succulent and diameter. A large number of aerial roots of 1 to 2 mm are hung on the ground in a vine shape to absorb rain and dew condensation water at night. On the other hand, some species have become taller. About 700 species of 11 genera are distributed all over the world, mainly in the tropics and subtropics, but it seems that 15 species of 5 genera such as grape genus, Cayratia japonicum, ampelopsis genus, and ivy genus grow naturally in Japan from ancient times. Ivy stretches a tendril with a sucker at the tip, so it can be climbed on the wall, but many tendrils in the vine family climb on a vertical surface like a wall because they are entwined with other things. Is difficult. The poison ivy of the family Rhus family is not a tendril, but it grows on the aerial roots that extend from the stem to the ground, so it seems that it can climb even on a vertical surface. Many vines have beautifully colored leaves. It is reported that the leaves turn red in autumn and fall in winter. It's really emotional and I don't feel like it's almost like a human half-life. According to folklore, it was during the Nara period that it came to Japan. It is presumed that it came from Tang via the Silk Road from the place of origin. In 718, Gyoki（a monk of the Hosso sect of the Nara period. Born in Otori District (currently Osaka Prefecture.）, a high priest who traveled to various places, set up a medicinal garden at Kashiwaoyama Daizenji Temple in Katsunuma, Kai Province (Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture (formerly Katsunuma Town)), where he began cultivating grapes (Koshu species). Also, in 1186, at the end of the Heian period, it is said that the beginning of viticulture was that Kageyu AMEMIA, a resident of Katsunuma Kai Province, found and raised a rare fruit tree from the mountains. In any case, Japanese vineyards seem to begin with the cultivation of the “Koshu” variety, a type of European grape, near what is now Koshu City, Yamanashi Prefecture. Viticulture has spread among farmers around Katsunuma since the Kamakura period, and it is believed that Koshu grapes gained fame during the Edo period. According to world folklore, around 8000 BC, grapes were detected as fruits in the early agricultural culture of West Asia from the ruins of Tel Abu Freira (modern Jordan, Tel Aswad) in Syria. Around 3500 BC, the Sumerians of the Mesopotamian civilization (the southern half of Babylonia, now occupied by Iraqi Quate), which flourished between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, created wedges and said, Grape berries hang down. It was nice to see the green leaves on it, said the word grape, which seems to have left the oldest record. As a long historical fact before that, it was an important plant in people's lives, and it must have been eaten continuously. After that, it is said that the Semitic people who migrated to rich Egypt from Canaan (ancient place name in the area between the Mediterranean River, the Jordan River, and the Dead Sea) introduced the method of cultivating grapes and the method of making wine, and the early Egyptian dynasty. It is a famous story that it was discovered after burying a bunch of grapes side by side in a tomb of the era (around 3100 BC). Around 2000 BC, the Phoenicians (people who lived in the area equivalent to what is now Lebanon) went to Crete in the Aegean Sea and around 1300 BC to the cultivation method and processing of grapes (wine, dried grapes, etc.) ) Is known to have been transmitted, and the theory that eventually spread to Europe is valid. In Aomori Prefecture, grape production is flourishing in the Tsugaru and Minami regions of the prefecture. Especially in the Tsugaru region, the production of the black grape variety “Stuben” is flourishing. It is characterized by its unique aroma and sweetness, has a high sugar content, and has excellent storability compared to other varieties, so it seems to be evaluated. In the southern part of the prefecture, “Campbell Early（Born in the United States in 1892, the parental crossing is said to be “Moore Early” × “Belbidere” × “Muscat Hamburg”. It is said that it was brought to Japan in 1897 by Mr. Zenbei Kawakami, the founder of “Iwanohara Vineyard” in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture.）” is produced due to the difference in climatic characteristics. Among the white varieties for raw consumption, varieties such as “Portland（Parents are “Champion” and “Lute”. Native to the United States. Designated as an excellent variety in Hokkaido in 1973. It is a white raw edible variety with a lot of sweetness, juicy and strong aroma. Harvest is from mid-August to late September.）” and “Niagara（In 1872, A white grape variety, a hybrid of Concord（Selected from wild grapes in Concord, Massachusetts State: Ephraim Wales Bull in 1849）and “Cassady”. The peel and flesh are easy to separate, the skin color at maturity is greenish yellow to white yellow, and the flesh is soft and juicy. Extremely high sugar content.It is used not only for raw food but also for processing juice and wine. Although it depends on the cultivation method and environment, the sugar content is around 16 degrees, and if it is sweet, it exceeds 20 to 21 degrees, which is beyond imagination. The unique strong scent is remarkably stronger than other varieties. It is a variety with excellent cold resistance and tends to be produced in regions with cool climates. The ripening period is from late August to early September. A unique source of scent-Fox grapes（foxey flavor））” are produced. The red variety “Sunny Rouge（In 1977, at the Akitsu Branch of the Fruit Tree Experiment Station (currently the Grape and Kaki Research Department, Fruit Tree Research Institute, Agricultural Technology Research Organization), a tetraploid early-maturing line was bred by crossing “Pione” with “Red Pearl”. Since 1992, the strain name of Grape Akitsu No. 18 has been given, and the characteristics have been examined by submitting it to the 8th strain adaptability test of grapes. Named in August 1997 based on the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, New Species Naming Registration Regulations for Raised Agricultural Products. It was registered as “Grape Agriculture and Forestry No. 15”. Based on the Seed and Seedling Law, the variety was registered as the registration number “8561” in December 2000.）” has no seeds and tastes good, so consumers are expecting future production. It was born in 1947 at the New York Agricultural Experiment Station in the United States by crossing “Wayne” and “Sheridan”. The sugar content is 4 degrees higher than that of the “Campbell” variety, which was the main variety at that time, and is 18 degrees or more. It is a popular variety because it is normally refrigerated for 2 months. I heard that it was transmitted to Japan from the United States in 1952. Among them, the Tsugaru region is located at the same latitude as New York, USA, where Steuben was born, and because of the climate, it is said to boast the largest acreage and production volume in Japan. In 1965, the policy of reducing acreage (under cultivation) led to the conversion of paddy fields to grapes. The main variety at that time was “Campbell”. Breeding in Aomori Prefecture began in 1968. 1972 Several producers switch to Steven. Junichiro Kimura, the chairman of the Prefectural Grape Association at the time of 1974, noticed its sweetness and storability. 1979 Established “Tsugaru Grape Association” centered on producers in Tsuruta Town, Kitatsugaru District. In 2000, “Tsugaru Grape Village” was established by 32 producers. Steuben in Tsuruta Town is a grape with seeds that is cultivated naturally in the cold land of Tsugaru. Not to mention the fruits, in fact, the area between the skin and the fruits is said to be the sweetest. Since the seeds are a little sour, the locals seem to swallow the fruit inside without chewing, and also suck the juice left on the skin. It seems to be the recommended way of eating by the locals. The appeal is that the sweetness is around 20 degrees sugar content and it is highly storable. The harvest is at its peak from early to mid-October, but I've heard that it can be eaten until the end of February as well as Christmas and New Year by storing it at a low temperature. Features: The flesh is round, the flesh is lumpy, and the taste is good. The tree vigor is medium and the disease resistance is rather strong. There is little flowering and no fruit cracking. Freezing resistance is weak. It is said that the one with a strong color, the grain is taut, and the whitish powder “Bloom（Natural ingredients made of fatty acids, etc., are exposed on the surface of the pericarp. Fruit powder has the function of repelling rain and morning dew to prevent diseases and preventing water evaporation to maintain freshness, and producers handle it carefully so as not to drop it when harvesting. When washing the fruit bunches, there is no need to force them off. It is harmless, but rather a proof of freshness.）” is attached, and the shaft is solid is good. The grains at the tip of the tufts are the easiest to ripen, so those with tension are outstandingly fresh. Seeds are removed when making wine, and some people throw them away when eating, but they are actually very nutritious and moisturize the body. In recent years, it is clear that grape seed oil and supplements obtained from extracts have been attracting attention in the market. Polyphenol itself, which is abundant in seeds, is also a pigment and astringent component of grape skin, and is expected to have the effect of suppressing the oxidation of cholesterol in the blood, preventing arteriosclerosis, and preventing heart disease caused by it. Anthocyanin, a type of polyphenol and a natural pigment component, is said to be effective for cataracts, eyestrain, and blood circulation disorders. In addition to this, the reason for the purple fruit skin is expected to be effective. It is cultivated by adopting the only “Tsugaru-style improved tailoring method” in Japan, which combines techniques called hedge tailoring, ultra-long tree pruning, and strong pinching. Hedge tailoring is a pruning method in which a stake is struck in a field and a wire is laid between them. Compared to general grape cultivation, the height at which grapes grow is low, and the fruit grows at the height of human breasts. By doing this, it seems that the growing condition of the trees will improve and the number of fruits in the bunch will increase. I hear that ultra-long tree pruning is a pruning method that leaves 1 to 3 m of branches and absorbs a lot of nutrients by photosynthesis to produce large fruits. If the tip of a tree branch is too long, it will take more nutrients to grow the branch than to produce fruit, so pruning. It seems to be a very difficult technique to identify and prun the branches of large fruits. Strong pinching is to reduce the number of leaves before flowering to 4 to 3 instead of the general 5 leaves, thereby increasing the number of grains from 70 to 80, which is said to be the general average number, and the density. How to increase. In addition, the denseness of the fruits reduces the number of parts that come into contact with the air and has the effect of preventing drying, which leads to an increase in storability. “Tsuruta Steuben” is registered in the “Geographical Indication Protection System”, which protects local agriculture, forestry and fishery products and foods as a brand. (Registration No. 75, March 20, 2019) The characteristics of Tsuruta Steuben are its high sugar content, good storability, and “Tsuruta-style improved tailoring method”, which is a cultivation method unique to Tsuruta Town. Has been evaluated. The registration of Tsuruta Steuben on geographical indications is four items in the prefecture, and the first registration in Japan for grapes. Most of the Stevens on the market in Japan have been postponed to be produced in Aomori Prefecture, but Fujisaki Town, Minamitsugaru District is also famous as a production area. I would like to write a little about the climate. Fujisaki Town”, Minamitsugaru District is located in the center of the Tsugaru Plain, Aomori Prefecture. It borders Aomori City and Kuroishi City in the east, Hirosaki City in the west, Itayanagi Town in the north, and Inakadate Village in the south. It is about 25 km from the town center to Aomori City, the capital of the prefecture, and about 9 km to Hirosaki City. With a total area of 37.29 km2, there are no mountains or wilderness in the town area, and the geology belongs to the Quaternary alluvium, and it is blessed with fertile soil suitable for agriculture. The climate is relatively warm in the Tsugaru Plain, and it is rich in variety, with rich nature surrounded by water and greenery adding color to the four seasons. Former Fujisaki Town is the earliest open land in Tsugaru, and it is believed that people have lived there since prehistoric times because pottery from the late Jomon period was excavated. In the role of nine years ago (1051), an army led by Minamoto no Yoriyoshi and Yoshiie defeated Mr. Abe, a powerful family in Oshu. It is said that Fujisaki is said to be “the birthplace of Tsugaru's history” because it is said that he built a castle and established Mr. Ando. Based in Fujisaki, which is proud of it, it expanded its power, advanced to Jusan Lake, flew over the Sea of Japan against the background of a strong navy and fleet, and reigned as the champion of Kita-oshu. “The Legend of Gozen” and six plate monuments presumed to be from the Northern and Southern Dynasties have been found, and it is presumed that they had reached a high cultural level under the influence of Kamakura. After Mr. Ando moved out of Tsugaru, he was ruled by Mr. Nanbu, and after the rise of Mr. Tsugaru (Oura) at the end of the 16th century, he was ruled throughout the feudal era. As a village, important public facilities such as a representative office, a hawk waiting area (a place to capture hawks donated to the shogunate), a brewery (a base for collecting and shipping rice grains), and a transmission horse (a base for transporting goods and documents) are established. In 1889, with the enforcement of the “city system and town / village system”, Fujisaki Town, which merged with Fujikoshi Village and Katsuno Village, and Nakajima Village, Obata Village, Yazawa Village, Mizunuma Village, Nakanome Village, Gobayashi Village, and Nishi Nakanome Village, Yoshimukai Village, Kameoka Village, Tawara Village, Shimo Tawara Village, and Kashiwagi Dam Village merged to form a 29.28 miles village, but in 1955 Fujisaki-cho and 29.28 miles village merged on an equal footing, and in 1956. It seems that Hayashizaki was separated from Itayanagi Town and merged into the former Fujisaki Town. In the Kamakura period, the former Tokiwa village became the official position of Ezo Satan as a miuchibito of Mr. Hojo, and in the Muromachi period, it was related to Mr. Ando, a powerful family of Tsugaru who was incorporated into the Kyoto Miuchibito, and Mr. Kitahata of the South Dynasty. It seems that the place name derived from the ruins of the warlord's mansion remains. In the Kamakura period, Kui Natan was said to have been built on a hill surrounded by the Togawa and Namioka rivers (Tokiwa Village magazine). Fukudate is also said to have been attached from a fort built in the Ando period in the Middle Ages. It is said that Kumanomiya was solicited as a mansion god. It is the ruins of the Heijo mansion. The place name of Tokawabata (currently Fukushima district) can be seen in the middle name of Tsugaru District. In this way, it was cultivated as a rich rice-growing area from early on. With the enforcement of the municipal system in 1889, it became Tokiwa Village and Tomiki Tate Village, and in 1924, the villagers' long-cherished desire to open “Kita Tokiwa Station” on the Ou Main Line (between Hiromae and Aomori) was realized. With the founding of Transport Co., Ltd., the transportation of straw products in addition to rice and apple agricultural products has become active, bringing great results to the daily lives of villagers and greatly contributing to the development of industrial development. As the first merger, Tokiwa Village and Tomiki Tate Village merged, and in 1955, the-department of the Mitsuya district of the neighboring village Rokukan Village was incorporated to become the former Tokiwa Village. New Fujisaki Town was born as the smallest town in the prefecture by the equal merger of former Fujisaki Town and former Tokiwa Village on March 28, 2005. It seems that New Town is promoting new town development in order to take advantage of the favorable location conditions, inherit the results of town development that each town and village has been working on, and further develop and leap forward in the future. Under the slogan of “a rich and gentle town created by everyone,” “a town that entrusts the future to children, a town that is easy to grow,” “a town that connects cities, a town that is easy to go out,” and “a town that is fragrant with water and green rural culture,” I will aim. It is a town famous as the birthplace of the most famous apple variety, “Fuji”. Although it is the second smallest town in the prefecture, it is located in the middle of the Tsugaru Plain, blessed with soil and climatic conditions suitable for agriculture, and is a town where agricultural products are prosperous. In this town, there is a group of young farmers called “Wagemond”, which is formed by young farmers under the age of 45. This group is a project team whose basic purpose is to sell what they produce.
The season is from the end of October to February. It is suitable for storage due to its high sugar content, and it is stored in a dedicated facility that applies the storage technology of Aomori apples, so it can be eaten deliciously even during the cold winter. It is medium-grained, purple-red-black, and grows in plenty of sunlight, so it contains a lot of polyphenols, and with the help of the cold land of Tsugaru, it is cultivated with a minimum amount of pest control agents.
The Agricultural Experiment Station in New York, USA, began by crossing and cultivating a variety called “Shrindan Grape” × “Wayne Grape”. Is Tsuruta Town and Inakadate Village, and is a special production area that accounts for 80% of the national production.
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