Making the most of hamanashi fruit

Hyoketsu Mottainai Hamanashi

Brand: Kirin

Price: 110 yen

Place of purchase: Belx Supermarket

Rating:

Are you familiar with the Japanese term "mottainai"? It expresses regret for wasting something valuable. Kirin Beverage's Hyoketsu brand of shochu highballs, or chuhai, responds to the impulse to make something of valuable produce that doesn't meet standards. The drink, Mottainai Hamanashi uses the juice of hamanashi, a brand of pear grown in Yokohama City. These juicy pears are not widely available beyond the region where they're grown. The drink has a distinctive nashi pear flavor and a lightly sweet flavor.

This Mottainai Hamanashi chuhai is mildly sweet and has a depth of flavor unique to nashi. The price point is reasonable, too, at 110 yen for a 350 ml ready-to-drink shochu highball. I won't get too political here. However, Japan's "mottainai" concept of not wasting precious resources isn't unique. I learned about thrift as a grandchild of political and economic refugees from elsewhere. Regardless, "mottainai" reminds Japan residents to make the most of the bounty of Japan's produce such as this pleasant drink.