Willowgrape

Willowgrape
Kanji	柳葡萄
Rōmaji	Yanagibudō
Status
Type	Food, Plant
User(s)	Anyone
Manga
Debut	Chapter 10 (Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen)

Willowgrapes are a type of grape-like fruit introduced in Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen. They can be found in the Zozah Peninsula.

Description

Willowgrapes grow on a tall, sinewy tree, with the fruit hanging from the tree's branches in long bunches like the appearance of a willow tree. The leaves near the fruit are short and broad like a grape leaves, with three smooth lobes along the leaf blade. However the tree also produces long lance-like leaves, which are used in Willowgrape Marktea. These lance-like leaves appear to be a medium-dark magenta in color. The willowgrape fruit skin is also this shade of magenta, with pale green inside.. Additionally, the hanging branches of the willowgrape posses a kind of growth known as a tendril, which are commonly seen on conventional grape vines.

Willowgrapes as the fruit can be used as ingredients in food, as well as brewed into alcohol or juice. The leaves are also edible and can be pressed into Marktea slips. Willowgrapes are known for their fresh, delicate flavor despite having a strikingly sweet aroma. Drinking the tea is said to be good for promoting sleep and recovery after a long and exhausting day. When brewed either as tea, juice, or wine, the color it produces is also magenta.

Twinhead Golden Dragon is Zozah Peninsula's oldest and most respected producer of Willowgrape marktea.

History

Willowgrapes were first seen as an illustration when Olruggio prepares a fruit cocktail in Chapter 10 (Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen) with willowgrape wine. The leaves as used in Marktea were introduced in the next chapter when Qifrey and the girls acquaint Coco with Marktea, and the fruit itself made its debut in Chapter 15 (Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen) when Olruggio adds it to his indulgent Pointed Hat Pastry with heaped fruit and pudding brûlée. Willowgrapes in fruit and tea form have been seen on occasion since.

Trivia

• Young grape vines use special growths called tendrils to wrap around nearby objects for support, as they are unable to support their own weight. Interestingly, despite willowgrape branches not requiring support from nearby objects, they still possess tendrils. Seemingly serving no purpose for the plant, these tendrils can be considered a vestigial trait.
  • One possible explanation for why willowgrapes possess tendrils is that they recently evolved from grape vines to become free-standing trees. If this change took place recently enough, the now-useless tendrils wouldn't have had enough time to disappear from the population.
  • Another explanation is that the willowgrape are a magical fusion of a willow-like tree and some variety of grape vine, retaining traits from both. This would be similar to what we see in monsters, which are magical fusions of two separate animals.

Gallery

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  A partially peeled Willowgrape

• 

  Partially-peeled Willowgrape in color

• 

  A vine of Willowgrapes

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  Willowgrape leaves that are used in tea

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  Willowgrape Marktea

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  Twinhead Golden Dragoni's premier Willowgrape Marktea

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  Twinhead Golden Dragon's premier Willowgrape Marktea in color

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  Olruggio collecting Willowgrape wine from a bottle

Notes

• Willowgrape tea is Qifrey's favorite.
• For real-world recipes, Willowgrapes can be substituted with your preferred variety of grapes, your preferred blend of calming herbal tea, red wine, or red grape juice for an all-ages, morning-friendly drink.