More Than Mikan: Ehime's Dozens of Citrus Varieties Explained

Ehime is consistently one of Japan's leading citrus-producing prefectures, and the range goes well beyond ordinary mikan. Local growers cultivate dozens of varieties — including iyokan, ponkan, kiyomi, benibae, and harumi among others — each with its own season, sweetness, and acidity, grown on warm, terraced hillsides along the coast that have supported citrus farming for over a century. Because so many varieties overlap through the year, some form of Ehime citrus is realistically in season almost any time you visit, though which one changes constantly.

Supermarkets and roadside stands typically label citrus by variety name along with its peak season, and gift boxes of high-grade fruit are a common present in Ehime, reflecting how seriously the region takes citrus quality. Juice, jam, and citrus-flavored sweets and drinks are sold everywhere as an easy way to sample the range without buying whole fruit. Since flavor and texture differ meaningfully between varieties, it's worth trying more than one rather than assuming all Ehime citrus tastes like mikan — and worth simply asking a vendor what's in season that week.