The SUMO CITRUS® Story

In the 1970s a citrus grower from Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan set out to develop a fruit which would combine the best of the easy-to-peel Japanese Satsuma with big, juicy sweet oranges from California. Although he saw promise in an obscure tangerine-orange hybrid, this new fruit proved challenging to grow. Thankfully, our grower persevered. Over time, he developed a series of methods for growing, pruning and thinning his trees, which is different from all other citrus.

It took over 30 years but his hard work was rewarded when recently, this new variety became the most prized citrus fruit in Japan and Korea. Now this legendary fruit, which is called Dekopon in Japan and Hallabong in Korea, is finally available for the enjoyment of consumers here in America. It's grown on our families’ farms in California’s Central Valley to the same exacting standards of the original Kumamoto farmer.

It is the biggest mandarin you've ever seen. It has a distinctive shape with a prominent “top-knot.” The peel is bright orange, bumpy and loose so it peels effortlessly. The delicate sections separate easily. It’s seedless, juicy without being messy, and it is quite probably the sweetest citrus you'll ever eat.