Nara, Japan is a particularly picturesque city, full of both historical and modern cafes. On our trip we stumbled upon Ocasi (5 Ganriincho, Nara, 630-8221, Japan), a small but atmospheric cafe that sold treats with rare citrus jams native to Japan, made in house. When we stepped into Ocasi we got the biggest surprise of all, a rare tachibana citrus tree growing in their tiny courtyard. We enjoyed the tachibana jam at Ocasi in a dorayaki (think mini pancake with a sweet filling) imprinted with the iconic deer of Nara. The intense and complex flavor reminded us of some of the bitter, sour oranges we have tasted in Italy. The unique citrus filling was completely delicious, and worked well paired with a sweeter treat. You could also buy tachibana jam to bring home, which we thought made a great souvenir for ourselves and foodie friends.
Tachibana is something of a sour citrus, and is small, with the appearance of a kumquat. It is one of only 2 citrus species purely native to Japan, and is considered to be threatened. Prior to our trip to Japan, we had never encountered it elsewhere. Nara is the center of the tachibana revival, and the citrus fruit has a long and storied history in the region, garnering mentions in historical poetry, and appearing on the 500 Yen coin. Though tachibana is mainly considered ornamental nowadays, revivalists like Kenji Jō of the Nara Tachibana Project are trying to raise interest and awareness in this now-rare species. Food companies in Japan are making inroads at commercialization, including tachibana in items ranging from chocolate to gin.
Do you want to help in the tachibana revival? It looks like you can even buy one of these heirloom plants online. Though little known outside of Japan, more esoteric Japanese citrus varieties like the tachibana and sudachi have recently gained attention from international media outlets like the New York Times. Yuzu for example, once considered rare and exotic outside of East Asia, is now much more commonly found in culinary dishes around the world. Today yuzu, tomorrow tachibana?
Up and down the picturesque old town – 
Eating The World 
