November marks the late autumn season, a transition into the deep winter. It is a time when all of life feels the long, cold nights and receives the warm light of the autumn sun. Quietly and steadily, life accumulates sugar to brace for the ever-lengthening nights, as nature gently whispers for all to rest, slowly covering the world with the peaceful color of white snow.

During this time, those close to us may have a soft cough from the changing weather, or we may simply want to sit beside them at a meal and tell our loved ones, "Please take care of yourself."

The fruits of this season are sweet bites that warmly convey good wishes, without needing many words.

Oranges

If you think of the beginning of winter in Japan, a familiar picture comes to mind for many: sitting together around a kotatsu table and peeling small orange segments. The fragrance of the orange peels fills the air, and the refreshing sweet and sour taste of Vitamin C is not only healthy but also endlessly enjoyable. This is a moment filled with the laughter of those sitting nearby, proudly showing off their small success of peeling a perfect orange.

The oranges of this season are not just Vitamin C to fight off colds; they are a "vitamin for the heart" that helps create smiles in the time we share together.

Yuzu

Yuzu oranges, especially those grown in cold weather, have thick peels and less pulp but accumulate a lot of fragrant oil and are rich in Vitamin C. The unique aroma of yuzu has long been used in cooking to create a sense of relaxation and to relieve cold symptoms.

It is a Japanese custom to throw a yuzu fruit into a hot bath for its health benefits, for the skin, and to improve blood circulation. This small fruit naturally stands by the Japanese people in every moment, ready to create a smile and gently pat a tired shoulder. Yuzu is present as a ponzu sauce on the dinner table, a lozenge for a sore throat, a vitamin C drink, a cosmetic ingredient, and a presence during a relaxing bath for the weary body, especially during this season.

Karin (Quince)

Karin is a firm, bitter fruit, but it has a fragrant scent. Karin syrup is a Japanese folk remedy that requires a long time to ferment in a simple syrup. It is then mixed with hot water and used to relieve coughs, especially in the winter.

Karin syrup has a fragrance that comes from the taste of time, a concern that is passed down from generation to generation without rushing. It is like the time you wait for the rock sugar to slowly dissolve into the bitter fruit, until it becomes a taste that stays by someone's side when they are ill.

Karin is not just a fruit, not just a folk remedy. It is the fragrance and flavor of care that is passed through time, silently and surely, in every drop of syrup that seeps through the hard fruit in a family's sugar jar.

Persimmon

In this season, many fresh persimmons are available. The sweet taste of ripe persimmons is always a smile-creating snack after a meal for the family. Persimmons are suitable for all ages with their many vitamins, fiber, and nutrients. They also contain Fisetin, a flavonoid that helps support the function of the nervous system and brain.

In every sweet, small piece of this fruit, peeled with care and cut into perfect bite-sized pieces, a good wish is hidden. Besides fresh persimmons, they are also processed simply into chewy dried persimmons that can be stored for a long time and are full of fiber, helping to boost immunity. The orange color of the persimmon covered with white, snow-like sugar is a small picture of happiness this season. It is a small snack in your hand with a blessing hidden in its benefits.

Kiwi

This is the season for kiwi. The sweet and sour taste of this soft, green fruit is a delicious and beneficial treat that works well with both savory and sweet dishes. It can be used to tenderize meat or eaten as a snack, in a fruit salad, or as a topping for desserts, tarts, cakes, and cream sandwiches.

Kiwi is a fruit perfect for a small self-reward with its high Vitamin C content, high fiber, and low sugar and calories. It's good for the skin, easy to eat, and its tiny soft seeds pose no danger to children or the elderly. In a moment of hunger, just having a small basket of them on the table, easy to grab, makes you feel loved and cared for, even if you are not sitting together.

Honeycore Apples

Honeycore apples, or Mitsu-ringo, are a seasonal treat that can only be enjoyed during the autumn. They are a special seasonal gift created by the drastic temperature difference between the cold nights and the warm days. This temperature fluctuation is essential for the apples to accumulate sugar in their core, which turns a clear golden color like honey when cut.

Honeycore apples can be found in high-sugar varieties like Fuji and Tsugaru. Farmers carefully prune the branches to allow the trees to fully photosynthesize and create sugar, and they also nurture the soil with appropriate nutrients. But still, the creation of honeycore apples is not something that is fully under human control; it is also determined by the great forces of nature.

The sweetness of a honeycore apple is like a reward for the farmer's efforts. The taste of a honeycore apple is the taste of a smile that comes from an unwavering intention on a path of uncertainty. We hope that this taste of effort can be passed on to everyone who is trying their best.

A single fruit is born from a story, a small thread of time, love, and intention. These threads are woven together and passed on, a fruit of effort and care, to someone we do not know, or to someone close by, without needing any thanks.

In this season, we hope that these small fruits that we pass on with our intentions can reach your dinner table and create a small smile in your family, shining like the morning sun on a winter dew. We, and the farmers, will always smile with pride to have created a small smile for you.