Herb. No. 232 · Ebenaceae
Chinese and Japanese kaki; American D. virginiana is a native cousin of the eastern woods.
Native · East Asia
Persimmon
Diospyros kaki
An East Asian ebony fruit — jelly when an astringent type is truly ripe, or crisp if it is a Fuyu, and a mistake if you guess wrong.
Japanese persimmon is an East Asian tree. Traditional use is as ripe fruit, fresh or dried. Culinary ripe fruit is the path. Astringent types (Hachiya) must go soft, almost rotten-looking, or they tannin-punch the mouth. Non-astringent Fuyu is eaten crisp like an apple. American D. virginiana is a smaller, wilder cousin, also astringent until soft. Unripe astringent pulp has caused rare bezoars — wait.
Flavor
Ripe Hachiya is honey-apricot jelly. Fuyu is crisp and mild. Unripe astringent is a cotton ball of regret.
Parts used
Ripe fruit
Helpful
- A beautiful tree
- Dried fruit keeps
Cautions
- The astringent trap
- A hard frost on young wood
- Wildlife gets there first