Product Summary (Registration No.93)

Registration No.93 大竹いちじく

Registered name (Transcription) : 大竹いちじく（Otake Ichijiku）
Reference information : Otake Fig

Category of product

Class 1 : Products of Agricultural Origin (Fig) 

Production Area

Akita Prefecture Nikaho City

Registered Group

Otake Fig Association

Characteristics

Otake Ichijiku fig can be eaten without removing its skin, which remains green even after the fruit is ripe. Fruit sizes are relatively small. Produced primarily for processing, the fruit is harvested while still unripe and hard, and sorted accurately according to size for shipment. The fruit is rated highly as an ingredient for various processed foods because of its excellent color, superior fragrance, subtle sweetness, and optimal firmness that allows it to cook without losing its shape. Prices are therefore higher than figs for processing that come from other parts of the country.

Link with the Production Area

Nikaho City is well-suited to growing fig, which is sensitive to low temperatures. The city is warmer with less snowfall than other parts of Akita due to its location on the southern coastal area of the prefecture. Locals have traditionally made figs simmered in syrup for long-term preservation over the winter months. Fig production has been developed into a local industry through community-wide efforts including the adoption of cold-hardy varieties of fig; developing new fig orchards; improving cultivation techniques; and implementing quality control.