Can You Eat Grape Skins? Kyoho, Shine Muscat, and Other Japanese Grape Varieties
If someone asks me to name my favorite fruit, I never need time to think. My answer is always Kyoho grapes. I loved them long before moving to Japan, but living here has completely changed the way I shop for fruit. Back home, I rarely paid attention to grape varieties. In Japan, supermarket shelves start filling with Kyoho, Pione, Shine Muscat, Nagano Purple, and other beautifully packaged grapes from late summer into autumn. At first, I assumed every grape had to be peeled. Then I saw people eating Shine Muscat grapes with the skin still on. I remember standing in my kitchen with the first bunch I bought, wondering whether I was really supposed to eat the whole grape. After rinsing one and trying it, I understood immediately. The skin was thin, crisp, and easy to chew. So, can you eat grape skins? Yes, but some Japanese grape varieties are much easier to eat with the skin on than others. Shine Muscat and Nagano Purple are commonly eaten whole, while many people still peel thicker...