Winter Strawberry Picking
/We weren’t super crazy about strawberries when we lived in the States. However, now living in Japan, strawberries have become a stable fruit in our fridge when it's in season. Japanese strawberries are smaller and yet more expensive, but the added cost is justified by their superior sweetness. Japanese strawberries satisfy not only your sweet tooth, but also nourish your soul (for real)!
Last week we called many strawberry fields to see if they were open to the public for strawberry picking. All of them turned us down, some even fully booked for every weekend until the end of the month. We called Chura Ichigo and found out they are open to the public without reservations necessary. SCORE! Chura Ichigo is quite popular among my circle of friends because their website has information in many different languages. Choose your cup size (medium is 750 yen, large is 1000 yen), then go into one of the greenhouses where they grow strawberries and start picking! The strawberry fields that I’ve been to in the United States and in Taiwan were outdoors and strawberries were picked from the ground. Here the strawberries are elevated, so you don’t have to kneel down the whole time while picking. It also looks much cleaner indoors.
We were introduced to three types of strawberries:
Yotsuboshi: staff favorite, nice balance of sweet and sour.
Kaorino: our favorite, sweet, plump and juicy.
Koiminori: larger, smells peachy, slightly acidic in taste.
Before picking, the staff taught us how to spot tasty strawberries. First, the leaf cap, or calyx, should curl up. Second, the uglier the strawberries the tastier. Judge not a strawberry by its looks. Indeed we found that strawberries with white stripes/scars are sweeter than those without. With that said, strawberries are squished against the wall and each other inside the plastic cup, and therefore, scarred strawberries get crushed easier, the prettier ones hold up their shape and last longer. Strawberries are in season, from now until the end of April. Strawberry picking is a family friendly activity. You can even enjoy various strawberry desserts at the associated coffee shop next to the strawberry farm.
Location
Chura ichigo
No reservation necessary except AYCE
Can contact through LINE
Offers multiple languages on the website
40 minutes AYCE (2000 yen adult, 1400 yen students, 900 yen under 3, elders, disable, free under 3)
Regular size 750 yen, large 1000 yen
Address: Kakinohana-555番地 Tamagusuku, Nanjo, Okinawa 901-0601
Ginoza Strawberry Farms
Accept credit card
Address: Kanna, Ginoza, Kunigami District, Okinawa 904-1304
50 minutes: 1500 yen adults, 1000 yen 6-12 years old, 700 yen 2-5 years old, free under 1
Ginoza Ichigo
All you can eat 40 minutes: 1500 yen adults, 1000 yen students, 800 yen 2-6 years old
Monday and friday off
Can make reservation other days
Cash only
Address: 1581番地 Ginoza, Kunigami District, Okinawa 904-1302
Tomoya Farm
Address: 552-1 Kitauebaru, Nakagusuku, Nakagami District, Okinawa 901-2423
40 minutes AYCE: 1900 13yrs or older, 1700 yen 7yrs or older, 1400 yen under 6
Weekend only
Weekday, reservation only, only in Japanese
Twitter @tomoyafarmst
Chinese Translation
住美國時我們不是特別愛吃草莓，但在日本草莓季時，草莓一定是我們家冰箱必備品。雖然日本草莓比美國草莓小顆且價格比較貴，但這裡的草莓甜度永遠勝出。不像美國草莓空心不甜又沒汁，吃日本草莓感覺身心靈都被餵飽（UN覺得我形容得非常貼切！）
這週我們終於採到草莓了！上週末我們四處碰壁，打給沖繩每一家草莓園，全客滿，有些草莓園二月週末全被訂光！唯一Chura Ichigo不需預約（草莓吃到飽除外），而且網站有不同語言，也是朋友們最常去的一家。買了裝草莓杯子（中杯750日幣、大杯1000日幣）就能進去工作人員所指定的草莓溫室，這裡的草莓園和我們印象中在美國或台灣不太一樣。以往在傳統草莓園是室外且在地上，採草莓時一定要包得緊緊免得曬傷，但這裡的草莓園以高架培育，不需要一直蹲在地上，環境也比較乾淨整齊。
在Chura Ichigo有三種草莓品種，分別是：
Yotsuboshi：工作人員最愛，有恰當甜度和酸度。
Kaorino：是我們六人的最愛，甜又多汁又飽滿。
Koiminori：比較大顆，聞起來像桃子，但我們覺得比較酸。
採草莓前，工作人員教我們如何採和辨別好吃草莓（非常重要！）草莓瀏海（頭頂綠葉）翹起來，且越醜越好吃就是秘訣。的確長得不是特別漂亮的草莓比較甜，但我們發現草莓在杯子裡會稍許碰撞，醜的草莓比較容易軟，漂亮的草莓則能保持樣貌。現在正值草莓季，大概約四月時會結束，很適合全家一起來，採草莓後還能在附設咖啡店吃甜點。
沖繩草莓園資訊
Chura ichigo
不需事前預約（吃到飽除外）
可用LINE聯繫
網站有多國語言
40 分鐘吃到飽 (大人2000日幣、學生1400日幣、兒童900日幣)
中杯 750日幣, 大杯1000日幣
地址：Kakinohana-555番地 Tamagusuku, Nanjo, Okinawa 901-0601
Ginoza Strawberry Farms
收信用卡
地址：Kanna, Ginoza, Kunigami District, Okinawa 904-1304
50 分鐘吃到飽: 大人1500 日幣, 學生 1000 日幣, 小孩 700日幣
Ginoza Ichigo
40分鐘吃到飽: 大人 1500 日幣、學生 1000 日幣、小孩 800 日幣
週一和週五公休
可事先預約
只收現金
地址：1581番地 Ginoza, Kunigami District, Okinawa 904-1302
Tomoya Farm
地址：552-1 Kitauebaru, Nakagusuku, Nakagami District, Okinawa 901-2423
40分鐘吃到飽: 大人 1900 日幣、學生 1700 日幣, 小孩 1400 日幣
只開週末，週間僅供預約制
Twitter @tomoyafarmst
