Hebesu or hebezu (平兵衛酢) is a small
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
ese citrus fruit. It is green in color, rich in acid and reported to have high amounts of a specific
flavonoid
Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans.
Chemically, flavonoids ...
which supposedly has anti-cancer properties.
The fruit is considered a local delicacy of
Hyūga, Miyazaki. It has been claimed it is similar to both
kabosu (''Citrus sphaerocarpa'') and
sudachi (''Citrus sudach'') but the fruit is not as well known outside
Miyazaki Prefecture.
Supposedly, the fruit was initially found during the
Edo period by a Chōsokabe Heibei, from whom the fruit got its name (which means "Hebe's vinegar"). Chōsokabe began growing it on his land in what is now the Nishikawauchi Tomitaka area of Hyūga city.
Hebesu are grown in greenhouses are available from June, while those grown outdoor ship between the end of July until October.
The
essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the o ...
s of the peel of the fruit have been studied,
[ as well as an oxygen effects study.]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q18020099
Citrus
Japanese fruit