Here are some recommendations for local, inexpensive and delicious fruit shops. Atsuko(❁´∀`❁)ﾉ𖤐´- Recommendation① I discovered that my favorite fruit, papaya, is grown in Hitoyoshi. I knew that mangoes were grown in Tensui, but I was SO surprised to find sweet yellow papayas, not green papayas, on sale there. My grandparents were Hawaiian immigrants (they came back to Kumamoto before WWII), and my father used to buy them as souvenirs for my grandmother when he used to go to the prefectural office on business. Papayas, which are still hard to buy in supermarkets, are made in Hitoyoshi! and sold at Superkid in Hitoyoshi!. I had sometimes seen green vegetable papaya at vegetable shops in the countryside, and Super Kid had them, and I ate them in curry and miso soup, but I had no idea that the yellow fruit papaya could be found in Kumamoto. I can’t believe I can buy it in Kumamoto, in Hitoyoshi!! They are sweet and delicious. Hitoyoshi’s Superkid! I recommend it. Recommendation②. GW is the season of watermelon in Kumamoto. My volunteer friend has a vegetable market by farmers every Tuesday morning from 10am to 12pm at Ramen Party in Mashiki. Mashiki is also famous for watermelons. They are very cheap and tasty, out of standard products that cannot be sold in the market. You can also enjoy delicious ramen at the Ramen Party. Proceeds from the sales will be used to fund a soup kitchen for disaster relief. The team did a lot of soup-runs during the Kumamoto earthquake, and I have taken Kumamoto University international students to volunteer many times, so I am sure they will welcome international customers as well. They also run a community space, so please come and have a cup of tea and get to know the local farmers. The vegetable market is every Tuesday morning.
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー ⭐️Regular, Tuesday “Vegetable Sale” (in the morning) ⭐️Schedule of items to be sold
Watermelons (out of standard that cannot be shipped to the cooperative = almost half price)(800 yen to 1,500 yen) Ripe tomatoes = sold out early every time! Mashiki rice = 3k for 1,000 yen is great 😃. Cabbage = 150 yen! Carrots = 100 yen Garlic in soy sauce ⭐️We are waiting for you at the edge of the community 😃. Tea, snacks and free hospitality ‼︎ ⭐️Tuesday,“Vegetable Market” (direct sales by farmer’s aunts)Hours: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Cheap prices because of direct sales! (Sometimes freebies!) ・No sales tax. ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー PS. Papaya, I bought some and the smaller ones were sweeter.