Don't call it 'yumberry,' its Yangmei

Some say it tastes like a mix pomegranate, strawberries, and raspberries. Ask Yunfei Chen to describe the taste of yangmei, the sweet and tart Chinese fruit that he's championing in America, and he'll give you a straightforward answer.

I always say, 'yangmei is yangmei.' You have to taste it to know, Chen laughs.

ABC7 News anchor Dion Lim is on a visit to Chen's home in Fremont to see his backyard full of lush yangmei trees, and to taste the fruit herself. The round fruits, similar in size to large cherries, hang abundantly in hues of pink, red, and purple, indicative of its breed. Chen gives Lim a crash course on yangmei picking, directing her to a deep red fruit hanging right above her head. She picks it and takes her first bite.

It's juicy! It tastes like berries and pomegranate, and something else I can't put my finger on, Lim says. It's so interesting!

Chen, a scientist originally from Zhejiang province (The #1 yangmei-producing province in China, he proudly explains), was challenged by a colleague to grow yangmei seeds in California. Starting with one seedling, it took Chen five years of trial and error to finally get his trees to produce good fruit in the California climate. He says he would check on his baby trees so often during the day that a curious neighbor asked him what he was up to.

I am doing something important, Chen reminisces with a laugh.

Over a decade later, Chen's backyard passion has turned into an important mission to bring yangmei to America. In 2018 he founded Calmei, Inc. with business partner Charlie Lucero. Together they are finding growers to teach Chen's methods of yangmei production, and educating American consumers about the Chinese fruit. The first lesson is its name: yangmei has earlier been introduced as yumberry to English-speaking countries.

We try to educate people to call it yangmei instead of yumberry, Chen explains. People can easily pronounce it. I think it's a better idea to keep the original name.

So far, Calmei's yangmei is only available through Weee!, an online delivery service for Asian and Hispanic groceries, and at Bi-Rate Markets in San Francisco. The fruit has made waves on social media from appreciative Chinese-Americans and foodies, but also for its eye-popping price of $40-$60 per pound. Chen explains that the price reflects the cost of enticing American farmers to grow this largely unknown fruit, and is certain the price will drop as Calmei finds more growers (and more consumers) of yangmei.

Together, Chen and Lim have filled their bellies with yangmei, yet Chen's trees look as abundant with fruit as before. Standing at his very first tree, Chen slaps the trunk to show its sturdiness.

What does it feel like, Lim asks, when you see this tree mature like this with so much fruit?

I just see it as my baby growing up, Chen laughs. I do have an emotional connection to this tree, and pretty much every tree that I grew.

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