Shikuwasa is an Okinawan specialty citrus that grows wild in the Nansei Islands South of Amami Oshima. It is said that there are only two kinds that grow wild in the citrus family, Shikuwasa and Tachibana（Citrus tachibana）. The fruit is 25-40g and its shape is a little flat. It has a thin peel and a juicy pulp and is eaten when ripe and sweet. Its name comes from the Okinawan dialect "Shi（sour）" and "Kuwasa（to make you eat）", and the fruit, grown by the bright sun and rich ground, has a fresh sourness and bitter taste. In the old days, the acid was utilized to soften the plant fibers used to make textiles. Shikuwasa is high in a flavonoid called nobiletin, which has recently shown increasing promise for health functions such as anti-dementia.

Text in collaboration with: JA Okinawa