With the arrival of autumn, apple season has come again!🍎🍂
Japanese apples are wonderfully sweet, but every autumn I always look for Kogyoku — the tart, ruby-red variety that’s perfect for baking.
Its season doesn’t last long, so when I start seeing Kogyoku apples at the market, I get a little excited—and a little panicked—wanting to bake everything I’ve been dreaming of: apple pie, tarte Tatin, apple cake, and baked apples…etc.
The first thing I always make is apple crumble.
It’s simple to prepare, yet it fills the house with the warmth and aroma of autumn.
This dessert carries a very special memory for me.
When I was a student, I stayed in England for about a month, and my host mother often baked apple crumble for us. She said it was one of the most beloved desserts in the UK. Every evening, after dinner, a delicious dessert would appear on the table—and I looked forward to it every single day.
The very first time I tasted apple crumble, she poured a generous amount of warm custard sauce from a large pitcher over the crumble. I still remember that moment vividly—it was love at first bite.
My host family was like something out of a storybook: a kind and intelligent Scottish father, a warm and cheerful Irish mother, a beautiful and talkative five-year-old girl, a cute and calm baby girl, and a big, clever dog named Freddy. I was surrounded by warmth and laughter.
When my dreamlike month-long stay finally came to an end, I cried so much when I had to return to Japan.
But after I began working, I saved money to visit them again—and I did, several times.
Years later, when my son was in high school, we visited them together.
The family was still lovely. The parents were still as kind as ever, and the little girls had grown into beautiful young women. It was an emotional reunion.
Interestingly, their personalities hadn’t changed at all—the talkative elder sister told us she was studying languages and planning to study in France, while the younger one had grown into a calm, artistic soul.
My son, shy as he is, didn’t talk much, but it was a precious experience for both of us.
Every year, when apple season comes around, my heart fills with memories of England and the family who welcomed me so warmly.
↓ Here’s a short video from my YouTube channel: How to Make Apple Crumble 🍎
↓ Here’s another short video from my YouTube channel: How to Make Apple Gyoza🤭🍎
Thank you for reading. I’ll keep sharing little moments from my life in Japan — from my garden, kitchen, and everyday reflections. See you in the next post!
by WANOKA
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