SOURCE :- THE AGE NEWS
It is the fruit that has Canberra talking and put the prime minister in the hot seat.
The Japanese Shizuoka crown melon.
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gifted a couple of the high-status fruits to her counterpart, Anthony Albanese, during a recent visit to Australia. The embassy made clear the melons were purchased in Australia from one of the businesses that have been allowed to import them since March.
So nothing to see here, right?
Not quite.
In a now-infamous podcast at The Lodge on July 3 with ribald host Nikki Osborne, Albanese brought up the melons in response to a question about the most “crap gift” he ever got.
Of course, Albanese didn’t say Takaichi’s gift was crap. Rather, he said it “was pretty strange but ended up being quite good”. Fair enough.
But, regrettably for everyone, he then laughed it up with Osborne about Takaichi bringing two melons, an apparent reference to breasts. Osborne scoffed that she smuggled them in looking like Pamela Anderson. Albanese had mimed holding a pair of melons, at chest level.
Cue the stink.
What is this Shizuoka crown melon anyway? And what does it taste like?
You can get them in Australia, apparently, on special order for about $160 each. They’re more common in Singapore – where I am – so I went to a fruit joint and picked one up for a cool $SG58 ($65). The bloke made it sound like a bargain. And I believe him.
“They are grown one fruit per vine,” he said. That’s how they get so sweet and juicy. And expensive.
Back at the apartment, I did as instructed and cut it in half – they slice like butter – then scooped up the light-green flesh with a spoon. The well from the discarded seeds instantly filled with juice.
It was the best melon I’ve ever had: sweet and almost melt-in-your-mouth, a honeydew, of sorts, only infused with the Japanese care, patience and science that seems to make all their stuff a cut above (steaks, beer, convenience store food, etc).
I finished the first half and a bit without even trying. Then, our two-year-old made short work of the rest.
It must now sit third in my list of best tropical fruits, just behind Musang King durian and mangosteen.
I probably wouldn’t pay that much again just to sit at home and scoff it. But I just might if I wanted a novel way to show deep appreciation for a favour or friendship.
