From time to time during the season, our fans will see Sumo Citrus displayed as a “dekopon” or “dekopon citrus” in stores and wonder if a dekopon is the same as Sumo Citrus. So, how can you tell the difference and be sure you are filling your cart with authentic Sumo Citrus? 

In short, know this: unless the sticker says, “Sumo Citrus,” you have an imposter. To make sure you have the real deal, look for the official purple Sumo Citrus sticker on the fruit, distinct purple bins, or bags with the iconic fan art that reflects our Japanese heritage.

That heritage tells our story.

In the 1970s, a visionary grower in Japan set out to create the ultimate citrus experience from the best of the satsuma, orange, and mandarin varieties. This vision led to the dekopon, a hybrid mandarin with characteristics like no other and unmatched flavor. 

Sumo Citrus brought seedlings to the United States in 1998, cultivating the first dekopon groves outside of Japan, where our journey began.

Where is Sumo Citrus Grown Now?

As one of the most challenging varieties of citrus to grow due to its delicate nature, our passionate growers faced an enormous task to nurture the seedlings into fruit-bearing Sumo Citrus trees. 

It took more than a decade to perfect the art of growing Sumo Citrus in the San Joaquin Valley, known as the citrus belt in California’s Central Valley, before Sumo Citrus first made its public debut in 2011. 

Throughout the years, our expert growers navigate the unpredictability of Mother Nature’s weather patterns and a balance of careful growing practices that prioritize:

• Soil Health
  To create resilient Sumo Citrus trees that have less pest pressure and create more nutritious fruit, Sumo Citrus cultivates diverse soil microbial populations and optimizes soil tilth to promote percolation, root growth, and maximum water retention.

• Ecosystem Biodiversity
  The ecosystems of our Sumo Citrus farms support diverse flora and fauna, observing pests and beneficial insects, and their predators, to create a well-connected habitat of species that contribute to pest control within native systems.

• Innovative, Sustainable Irrigation Practices
  Sumo Citrus conserves and stores extra water when it’s available through water reservoirs and basins, capturing water from rainstorms, and recycling irrigation water. And our Sumo Citrus growers use every opportunity to recharge local water tables and put water back into the ground.

In 2018, the Sumo Citrus family of growers expanded to three regions across southern Australia that offer the same ideal conditions for growing citrus as California’s Central Valley: hot dry conditions during the summer months, cool winter nights, and ample water supply for irrigation. This increased the availability of the beloved fruit each year. Learn more about the Sumo Citrus Australian fall harvest here. 

Where Can You Find Sumo Citrus?

Sumo Citrus is available at most major retailers and grocery stores from January through April each year (find your store here during the season), plus a limited window in September and October when the Sumo Citrus Australian fall harvest hits select stores in the U.S.

How to Choose The Best Sumo Citrus

When you spot the display of authentic Sumo Citrus in your local grocery store, don’t judge a fruit by its peel. As you select which fruit to bring home, you should know that Sumo Citrus is:

• A Little Bumpy
  It may look a little weird, but the perfectly imperfect peel protects the delicate fruit within.
• A Little Squishy
  This does not mean the fruit is over or under-ripe. This cushion around the fruit makes it extremely easy to peel.
• Varied in Size
  While Sumo Citrus is known for its larger-than-life size, they come in all shapes and sizes throughout the natural course of the harvest season.
• Adorned with a Top Knot^®
  Some bumps on the top of Sumo Citrus are more prominent than others, but they are all useful for starting a perfect all-in-one peel.  

Once you get your Sumo Citrus home, we offer one final piece of advice: store it carefully. Sumo Citrus is happiest when stored at cooler temperatures with good air circulation. They’ll keep for a few days on the counter or up to four weeks in the fridge. And just as we advise our retailers: don’t pile them atop one another. A little space between each piece of fruit goes a long way toward keeping them fresh and enormously delicious.

What Does a Dekopon Taste Like?

Sumo Citrus is known for being incredibly sweet. Mother Nature deserves the credit for that. 

However, we also use a tool called a “Brix meter” to measure the sugar content of the fruit before it ships out. The resulting value gives our team important information about the taste, quality, and nutritional density of each piece of Sumo Citrus. Only those that meet our high standards make it to stores.

These ambitious standards ensure that the Sumo Citrus you savor are: 

• Enormous
  Sumo Citrus is larger than an average mandarin, which is what makes it such a satisfying snack. 
• Incredibly Sweet
  You won’t forget your first bite of a Sumo Citrus – it’s a legendary taste unlike anything else. 
• Easy to Peel
  It’s so simple, Sumo Citrus practically peels itself – and often in one twist.
• No Mess
  That means no sticky fingers or citrus peel stuck under your fingernails. 
• Naturally Seedless
  Sumo Citrus is non-GMO certified and naturally seedless – that’s part of its charm! 

On its own, Sumo Citrus is a convenient on-the-go snack, a sweet start to the day as part of a balanced breakfast, a refreshing boost after a tough workout, and the most exciting thing a kid could find in their lunch box. 

However, for those who love to explore in the kitchen with fresh, in-season ingredients, Sumo Citrus elevates any recipe – from sweet treats, to savory bites, to fresh and refreshing drinks. We have a recipe for everyone to try – check them out here.

Why is Sumo Citrus So Popular?

Sumo Citrus inspires joy in everyday life and that is an experience you just can’t keep to yourself. It’s a legend in the produce aisle for a reason. Taste tests have proven that other dekopons just don’t come close to that legendary taste of Sumo Citrus, which is why our Super Fans eagerly await the arrival of Sumo Citrus in stores to stock up each season. 

Our community of passionate fans grows year over year, including influencers and celebrity champions like Hoda Kotb, Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa, Eva Chen, and of course, our favorite micro-farmer, Jenna Fischer.

Jenna owns and tends to the only approved Sumo Citrus tree outside of our official farms, under the guidance of our experienced growers. We’re proud to say that her tree bears fruit!

Hoda celebrates the arrival of Sumo Citrus season every year, and has excitedly shared with her viewers that eating Sumo Citrus “feels like summer in the middle of winter, it’s amazing!”

“You know what, I love those Sumo Citrus,” Mark Consuelos said on LIVE with Kelly and Mark. “We devour them.”

But it is the love from our fans and those who have just discovered Sumo Citrus for the first time that is so rewarding and fuels our the growers and teams who work so hard to deliver Sumo Citrus to stores. 

“SUMO CITRUS SEASON IS THE BEST SEASON” – @beccajett_

“Why are these so perfect?” – @barbrajean82 

“Easy to peel, deliciously sweet, the only fruit I will eat.” – DeeAnn L.  

“Incredibly sweet and seedless. The perfect on-the-go snack!” – @Lorim333

“The perfect taste! Every.Single.Time!!” -@Parentingtip2go

We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. 

This season, don’t be confused if you see the word “dekopon” in the produce aisle. Now that you know where to find authentic Sumo Citrus, how to choose the best fruit, what makes them so sweet, and the characteristics that make Sumo Citrus both unique and delicious, we know you’ll only choose the original every time you shop.

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