Peach Picking Guide

Select your own Perfect Peach

In peach cultivation, ‘Brix’ is a term that refers to the sugar content of the fruit. Specifically, it is a measure of the percentage of sugar present in the fruit juice by weight. Brix is an important factor in determining the quality and taste of peaches, as a higher Brix level generally indicates a sweeter, more flavorful fruit. Peach farmers will often use a refractometer, a tool that measures the Brix level of a fruit, to monitor the sugar content of their peaches as they ripen.

In Japan, where peaches are highly valued for their taste and quality, there are strict regulations governing the Brix levels of fruit that can be sold under certain grades. For example, for Okayama White Peach, to be classified as ""Royal"" grade peaches, the fruit must have a minimum Brix level of 12 degrees or higher.

Pink Peaches

Ohtouryou/Premium

Beautiful appearance with more than 13.5 Brix when in season.

Aoshu

Good appearance and more than 10 Brix when in season.

Akashu

Good appearance and more than 9 Brix when in season.

Yuhin

Good appearance and more than 8 Brix when in season.

Muji

Not as highly graded and will be used for making into processed foods.

White Peaches (Okayama)

Royal

At the top of the pyramid, Royal-grade peaches have Brix 12 or more with an excellent, flawless appearance. This is the kind of peaches you can find at city'super.

King

Second from the top of the pyramid, King-grade peaches have Brix 11.5 or more with a fine appearance.

Ace

Third from the top of the pyramid, Ace-grade peaches have Brix 10.5 or more with a good appearance.

For Processing

The bottom of the pyramid defines peaches that are not as highly graded and will be used for making into processed foods.

Japanese peaches have extremely strict grading standards, and each variety of peach has its own grading chart!