Today in News from Japan: Mozart-Cultured Bananas and Wine-Crazed Manga

By Ian Froeb Fri., Dec. 3 2010 at 11:00 AM

Categories: WTF?

Bananas: Sweeter with Mozart?

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While we here in the United States continue to argue like children over food-safety and child-nutrition legislation, gastronomes in Japan are taking a far more civilized approach to food -- at least, that's what I take away from these two head-scratchers (both via Eater):

First, we have a company called Toyoka Chuo Seika, which ripens bananas in a room where Mozart is playing over speakers. According to The Independent, the company claims this results in sweeter fruit. But wait! That's not all.

Another fruit wholesaler in Japan started the trend three years ago. Now you can find soy sauce, udon noodles, miso, maitake mushrooms, and "Beethoven Bread" on Japanese grocery store shelves extolling the virtues of classical music vibrations.

Meanwhile, a French winemaker has pulled a vintage from the shelves to prevent speculation. Why? No, not a 100-point rating from Robert Parker. Château le Puy wine was featured in a manga, which I would call a comic book but won't because I'm sure this is inaccurate and would bring down the wrath of the geeks upon me.

The comics, which recount the quest of a young man to inherit his wine critic father's vast collection, see him attempt to identify the 13 wines chosen by his father in his will. They are all real-life vintages - such as the 1994 Château Lafleur and 1999 Château Palmer - and the wines have experienced a surge in sales after being featured in the books.

Please note, geeks: The quoted article calls them comics, not my post.