Japanese harvest season often begins in the early autumn months and food in Japan is often cited to be the most nutritious and tasty in September. Popular autumnal ingredients include vegetables such as sweet potato (satsumaimo), taro root (satoimo), kabocha (pumpkin/winter squash), kuri (chestnuts) and a wide variety of mushrooms. There are also delicious fruits like grapes (budo), apples (ringo), pears (nashi), tangerines (mikan), and persimmons (kaki). Together with Japan’s wealth of fresh seafood, autumn dishes are a wonderful treat as the weather starts to turn cold.