Persimmon
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- This article refers to the edible fruit. For the British construction company, see Persimmon plc.
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D. kaki (kaki persimmon) |
Persimmon most commonly refers to the edible fruit borne by some species of the genus Diospyros. It is also known as kaki (D. kaki), 'Sharon Fruit' (D. kaki, a trademark name, exclusively reserved for persimmons grown in Israel), black sapote (D. digyna), mabolo or velvet-apple (D. discolor), date-plum (D. lotus), Texas persimmon (D. texana) and American persimmon (D. virginiana). The term is also used to refer to the trees bearing the fruit.
The word persimmon comes from an Algonquian language of the eastern United States, meaning "a dry fruit."
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[edit] Fruit
Persimmons tend to be light yellow-orange to dark red-orange in colour, varying from 2-8 cm in diameter, and may be spherical, acorn, or pumpkin-shaped, depending on the species. The calyx often remains attached to the fruit after picking. They are eaten fresh, dried, cooked, and canned. They are high in glucose, have a balanced protein profile, and possess various medicinal and chemical uses.
There are generally two types of persimmon: those that are astringent until extremely ripe and those that are non-astringent.
Astringent types contain high levels of soluble tannins and cannot be eaten until custard-soft unless the astringency has been removed either artificially or by an after-ripening of light exposure to frost over a few days; this process is known as bletting. The edibility of astringent types is much improved when the fruit is dried.
Non-astringent types are less astringent when unripe and lose their astringency earlier. They can be eaten at various stages of firmness, from very hard to very soft.
Commercial forms include:
- Astringent:
- Korean
- Hachiya
- Nonastringent:
- Fuyu
- Jiro
- Hanagosho
[edit] Species
Kaki Persimmon / Kaki Fruit (柿 kaki?) (D. kaki) is the most widely cultivated species, grown for its delicious fruit (see below). It has a very sweet taste and fibrous texture. This species, native to China, is deciduous, with broad, stiff leaves. Cultivation of the fruit extended first to other parts of east Asia, and was later introduced to California and southern Europe in the 1800s. It is edible and delicious in its crisp firm state. It has its best flavor, however, if allowed to rest and soften slightly after harvest.
Japanese Persimmon / Hachiya Fruit is the second most widely cultivated variety. The fruit has a high tannin content which makes the immature fruit astringent and unpalatable. The tannin gradually disappears as the fruit matures. This persimmon must be completely soft before it becomes palatable; at this point it comprises a thin skin full of thick jelly.
American persimmon (D. virginiana) is native to eastern North America. It is colloquially known as a "pawdad."
Black persimmon or Black sapote (D. digyna) is native to Mexico. Its fruit has green skin and white flesh, which turns black when ripe.
Mabolo or Velvet-apple (D. discolor) is native to the Philippines. It is bright red when ripe.
Date-plum (D. lotus) is native to southwest Asia and southeast Europe. It was known to the ancient Greeks as "the fruit of the Gods", i.e. Dios pyros (lit. "the wheat of Zeus"), hence the scientific name of the genus. Its English name derives from the small fruit, which has a taste reminiscent of both plums and dates. This variety is mentioned in the Odyssey; it was so delicious that those who ate it forgot about returning home and wanted to stay and eat lotus with the lotus-eaters.
There are many other species of persimmons that are not edible to humans.
[edit] Storage
Persimmons may be kept at room temperature (20°C); they will soften more rapidly if they are not refrigerated.
[edit] Nutritional information
Values here are per 100 g for "Persimmons, Japanese, raw" (Diospyros kaki); they may differ for other species.
| ENERGY | 293 kJ (70 kcal) |
| PROTEIN | 0.58 g |
| FAT - Total | 0.19 g |
| Saturated | 0.02 g |
| CARBOHYDRATE | 18.59 g |
| Sugars | 12.53 g (fructose 5.56 g, glucose 5.44 g, sucrose 1.54 g) |
| DIETARY FIBER | 3.6 g |
| Sodium | 1 mg |
| Calcium | 8 mg |
| Iron | 0.15 mg |
| Copper | 0.11 mg |
| Manganese | 0.36 mg |
| Vitamin C | 7.5 mg |
| Folate | 8 µg |
source: USDA Nutrient Database
[edit] Culinary use
Persimmons are eaten both fresh and dried. In Korea and Japan, persimmons are dried outdoors for two to three weeks after being picked. After that, the fruits are further dried by exposing them to heat for several days before being shipped. The dried fruit is called a Hoshigaki. In Korean culture, a punch called sujeonggwa is made from dried persimmons. Also in Korea, vinegar is made from persimmons.[1] In some Chinese cultures, dried persimmon leaves are used for tea. In Korea the tea is called gham eep cha.
Persimmon pudding is a traditional American dessert using fresh persimmons. An annual Persimmon Festival, which features a persimmon pudding contest, is held every September in Mitchell, Indiana.[2] Persimmon pudding is a baked pudding that has the consistency of pumpkin pie but resembles a brownie and is almost always topped with whipped cream.
[edit] Wood
Though persimmon trees belong to the same genus as ebony trees, persimmon tree wood has a limited use in the manufacture of objects requiring hard wood. Persimmon wood is used for paneling in traditional Korean and Japanese furniture.
In America, the D. virginiana tree, with its lightly coloured, fine-grained wood, is used to manufacture billiard cues and shuttles (used in the textile industry). Persimmon wood was also heavily used in making the highest-quality heads of the golf clubs known as "woods," until the golf industry moved primarily to metal woods in the last years of the 20th century. Persimmon woods are still made, but in far lower numbers than in past decades.
Like other plants of the genus Diospyros, older persimmon heartwood is black or dark brown in color, in stark contrast to the sapwood and younger heartwood, which is pale in color.
[edit] See also
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