Tabechoku National Asparagus Grand Prix 2026 Results Announced: "Melon-like Sweetness" Wins Grand Gold Prize, Judged by Michelin-listed Chef.

The "Tabechoku National Asparagus Grand Prix 2026" was organized by Vivid Garden Inc., which runs the direct-from-farm e-commerce platform "Tabechoku." The event took place on April 12-13, 2026, at LA BONNE TABLE in Ebisu, Tokyo. It featured 34 asparagus entries (32 green, 2 white) from 32 producers across 16 prefectures. Kazunari Nakamura, owner chef of the Michelin-listed restaurant LA BONNE TABLE, served as the judge. This was Tabechoku's first chef-proposed judging event, evaluating not only quality aspects like sweetness, texture, and aroma but also the practical usability for professional chefs. The judging focused on 2L size spring asparagus (31g-50g), prioritizing a clear "sweet and juicy" taste balanced with the unique flavor of asparagus. The Grand Gold Prize in the comprehensive category went to Fujii Farm (Hiroshima Prefecture) for their "Welcome" variety. Other winners included Shimanezumi Farm (Hokkaido) for "Gainrim (HLA-7)" (Gold Prize), Takae Asparagus Farm (Tochigi Prefecture) for "Welcome" (Silver Prize), and MORI FARM (Tochigi Prefecture) for "Welcome" (Bronze Prize). The agricultural sector is experiencing changes due to labor shortages and rising material costs, with technological innovations such as automatic harvesting robots, AI irrigation control, and new disease-resistant varieties like "Asutama J" being introduced. Concurrently, consumer expectations for asparagus are increasing, but rising prices have positioned it as a "luxury vegetable," leading to more stringent demands for freshness, sweetness, and thickness. The Grand Prix aims to provide a mechanism to properly evaluate producers' dedication and offer clear selection criteria for consumers. It also seeks to visualize the quality of diverse asparagus, bring recognition to lesser-known producers nationwide, and support their branding and sales expansion. A previous "Apple Grand Prix" in November 2025 resulted in one winning producer achieving over 20 times year-on-year sales growth in the month following the award.