Persimmon
The persimmon (/pərˈsɪmən/) is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros. The most widely cultivated of these is the kaki persimmon, Diospyros kaki[1] – Diospyros is in the family Ebenaceae, and a number of non-persimmon species of the genus are grown for ebony timber. In 2019, China produced 75% of the world total of persimmons.
Description
Like the
Persimmon trees are typically
Persimmon
Chemistry
Persimmon fruits contain
Taxonomy
Selected species
While many species of Diospyros bear fruit inedible to humans or only occasionally gathered, the following are grown for their edible fruit:
Diospyros kaki (Oriental persimmon)
Oriental persimmon, Chinese persimmon or Japanese persimmon, with broad, stiff leaves. Its fruits are sweet and slightly tangy with a soft to occasionally fibrous texture.
Varieties
Numerous cultivars have been selected. Some varieties are edible in the crisp, firm state but it has its best flavor when allowed to rest and soften slightly after harvest. The Japanese cultivar 'Hachiya' is widely grown. The fruit has a high tannin content, which makes the unripe fruit astringent and bitter. The tannin levels are reduced as the fruit matures. Persimmons like 'Hachiya' must be completely ripened before consumption. When ripe, this fruit consists of thick, pulpy jelly encased in a waxy thin-skinned shell.[citation needed]
Commercially and in general, there are two types of persimmon fruit: astringent and non-astringent.
The heart-shaped Hachiya is the most common variety of astringent persimmon. Astringent persimmons contain very high levels of soluble
The non-astringent persimmon is squat like a tomato and is most commonly sold as fuyu. Non-astringent persimmons are not actually free of tannins as the term suggests but rather are far less astringent before ripening and lose more of their tannic quality sooner. Non-astringent persimmons may be consumed when still very firm and remain edible when very soft.
There is a third type, less commonly available, the pollination-variant non-astringent persimmons. When fully pollinated, the flesh of these fruit is brown inside—known as goma in Japan—and the fruit can be eaten when firm. These varieties are highly sought after. Tsurunoko, sold as "chocolate persimmon" for its dark brown flesh, Maru, sold as "cinnamon persimmon" for its spicy flavor, and Hyakume, sold as "brown sugar", are the three best known.
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Diospyros lotus (date-plum)
Date-plum (
Diospyros virginiana (American persimmon)
American persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) is native to the eastern United States. Harvested in the fall or after the first frost, its fruit is eaten fresh, in baked goods, in steamed puddings,[20] and to make a mildly alcoholic beverage called persimmon beer.[21]
Varieties
- Prok[22]
- Killen[22]
- Claypool[22]
- I-115[22]
- Dollywood[22]
- 100-42[22]
- 100-43[22]
- 100-45[22]
- Early Golden[22]
- John Rick[22]
- C-100[22]
- JF-I[22]
Diospyros discolor (velvet persimmon)
The
Diospyros texana (Texas persimmon)
Texas persimmon (Diospyros texana) is native to central and west Texas and southwest Oklahoma in the United States, and eastern Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico. The fruit of D. texana are black, subglobose berries with a diameter of 1.5–2.5 cm (5⁄8–1 in) that ripen in August.[24] The fleshy berries become edible when they turn dark purple or black, at which point they are sweet and can be eaten from the hand or made into pudding or custard.[25]
Etymology
The word persimmon is derived from putchamin, pasiminan, pechimin or pessamin, from Powhatan, an Algonquian language of the southern and eastern United States, meaning "a dry fruit".[26] Other sources have suggested that the word “persimmon” comes from a Persian word meaning date-plum.[citation needed] It was first used in English in the early 17th century.[27]
Cultivation
Country | Production (millions of tonnes) |
---|---|
China | 3.21 |
South Korea | 0.32 |
Japan | 0.21 |
Azerbaijan | 0.17 |
Brazil | 0.16 |
World | 4.27 |
Source: FAOSTAT of the United Nations[28]
|
In 2019, world production of persimmons was 4.27 million
In China the Taiqiu persimmon variety yields approximately 30 metric tons of fruit a year at full production.[29]
In Australia and other markets persimmons are graded by how many will fit in a standard 4kg tray leading, e.g. 12 or 28.[30]
Australia
The persimmon was introduced to Australia by Chinese immigrants in the 1850s. Only astringent varieties were cultivated until the introduction of non-astringent varieties from Japan in the 1970s. In 2022 the vast majority of persimmons sold domestically in Australia were non-astringent varieties.[30]
Azerbaijan
Persimmons are one of Azerbaijan's most important non-petroleum exports. The main export markets are Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Iran, Kazakhstan and the United Arab Emirates.[31]
Spain
The primary variety produced in Spain is the Rojo Brillante. Spain produces 400,000 tons of Rojo Brillante a year.[16]
In the
Israel
The primary variety produced in Israel is the Sharon fruit. Israel produces 30,000 tonnes (33,000 short tons) of Sharon fruit a year.[16]
"Sharon fruit" (named after the Sharon plain in Israel) is the marketing name for the Israeli-bred cultivar 'Triumph'.[34] As with most commercial pollination-variant-astringent persimmons, the fruit are ripened off the tree by exposing them to carbon dioxide. The "sharon fruit" has no core, is seedless and particularly sweet, and can be eaten whole.[34]
United States
California produces 10,000 short tons or 9,100 tonnes of Fuyu a year. Most persimmons produced in California are seedless.[16] California and Florida account for most commercial production. The first commercial orchards in Florida were planted in the 1870s and production peaked in the 1990s before declining. Most persimmon orchards in the US are small scale (70% less than 1 acre or 0.5 hectares and 90% less than 5 acres or 2 hectares).[15]
India
Persimmons have various local names across India, including japani phal or amar phal in Uttar Pradesh, amlok in Assam, ram phal in Maharashtra, and lukum in Manipur. They are grown in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Darjeeling Region of West Bengal & Arunachal Pradesh.[citation needed]
Toxicity
Unripe persimmons contain the soluble
Uses
This section needs additional citations for verification. (January 2021) |
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
---|---|
Energy | 293 kJ (70 kcal) |
18.59 g | |
Sugars | 12.53 g |
Dietary fiber | 3.6 g |
0.19 g | |
0.58 g | |
Niacin (B3) | 1% 0.1 mg |
Vitamin B6 | 6% 0.1 mg |
Folate (B9) | 2% 8 μg |
Choline | 1% 7.6 mg |
Vitamin C | 8% 7.5 mg |
Vitamin E | 5% 0.73 mg |
Vitamin K | 2% 2.6 μg |
Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
Calcium | 1% 8 mg |
Iron | 1% 0.15 mg |
Magnesium | 2% 9 mg |
Manganese | 15% 0.355 mg |
Phosphorus | 1% 17 mg |
Potassium | 5% 161 mg |
Sodium | 0% 1 mg |
Zinc | 1% 0.11 mg |
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[39] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[40] |
Persimmons are eaten fresh, dried,
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
---|---|
Energy | 531 kJ (127 kcal) |
33.5 g | |
Sugars | n/a |
Dietary fiber | n/a |
0.4 g | |
0.8 g | |
Vitamins | Quantity %DV† |
Vitamin C | 73% 66 mg |
Minerals | Quantity %DV† |
Calcium | 2% 27 mg |
Iron | 14% 2.5 mg |
Phosphorus | 2% 26 mg |
Potassium | 10% 310 mg |
Sodium | 0% 1 mg |
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[39] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[40] |
In Korea, dried persimmon fruits are used to make the traditional Korean spicy punch sujeonggwa, while the matured, fermented fruit is used to make a persimmon vinegar called gamsikcho.
In Taiwan, fruits of astringent varieties are sealed in jars filled with limewater to get rid of bitterness. Slightly hardened in the process, they are sold under the name "crisp persimmon" (cuishi) or "water persimmon" (shuishizi). Preparation time is dependent upon temperature (5 to 7 days at 25–28 °C or 77–82 °F).
For centuries, Japanese have consumed persimmon leaf tea (Kaki-No-Ha Cha) made from the dried leaves of "kaki" persimmons (Diospyros kaki).
In the US from Ohio southward, persimmons are harvested and used in a variety of dessert dishes, most notably pies. They can be used in cookies, cakes, puddings, salads, curries and as a topping for breakfast cereal. Persimmon pudding is a baked dessert made with fresh persimmons that has the consistency of pumpkin pie but resembles a brownie and is almost always topped with whipped cream. An annual persimmon festival, featuring a persimmon pudding contest, is held every September in Mitchell, Indiana.
Persimmons may be stored at room temperature 20 °C (68 °F) where they will continue to ripen. In northern China, unripe persimmons are frozen outdoors during winter to speed up the ripening process.
Ripe persimmons can be refrigerated for as long as a couple of weeks,[44] though extreme temperature changes may contribute to a mushy texture. It is recommended to store persimmons stem end down.[30]
Persimmons can also be fermented in the manner of black garlic.[30]
Dried
In China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, persimmons after harvesting are prepared using traditional hand-drying techniques outdoors for two to three weeks. The fruit is then further dried by exposure to heat over several days before being shipped to market, to be sold as dried fruit. In Japan, the dried persimmon fruit is called hoshigaki, in China shìbǐng 柿餠, in Korea gotgam or Geonsi(乾枾), and in Vietnam hồng khô. It is eaten as a snack or dessert and used for other culinary purposes.
Nutrition
Persimmons have higher levels of
-
Japanese persimmons hung to dry after fall harvest
-
Hoshigaki, Japanese dried oriental persimmon
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Ripe kaki, soft enough to remove thecalyxand split the fruit for eating
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Peeled, flattened, and dried oriental persimmons (shìbǐng) in a Xi'an market
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Kaki preserved in limewater
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Dangam kkakdugi
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An example of persimmon wood furniture
Culture
In
In Korean folklore the dried persimmon (gotgam, Korean: 꽃감) has a reputation for scaring away tigers.[48]
In Malaysia and Singapore, large persimmons are viewed as a status symbol.[30]
Diseases
In 1999, the first report of leaf blight on sweet persimmon tree by fungal pathogen Pestalotiopsis theae in Spain was documented.[49]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Morton JF (1987). "Japanese persimmon". NewCROP, New Crops Resource Online Program, Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products; from Morton, J. 1987. Japanese Persimmon. pp. 411–16. In: Fruits of warm climates.
- ^ a b c d e f "Diospyros kaki 'Fuyu' – Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org.
- ^ Carley Petersen and Annabelle Martin. "General Crop Information: Persimmon". University of Hawaii, Extension Entomology & UH-CTAHR Integrated Pest Management Program. Retrieved 15 January 2007.
- PMID 27047315.
- S2CID 195303798.
- S2CID 28799160.
- ^ "Diospyros kaki Thunb". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ "Diospyros kaki". EPPO Global Database. 21 October 2001. Archived from the original on 25 December 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ "Diospyros kaki L.f." Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- S2CID 16838322.
- ^ todafruta.com.br Archived 2009-10-14 at the Wayback Machine
- .
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lofgren, Kristine (26 November 2020). "15 OF THE BEST ASIAN PERSIMMON VARIETIES". gardenerspath.com. Gardener's Path. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Stein, Larry; Nesbitt, Monte; Kamas, Jim. "Persimmons" (PDF). aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu. Texas A&M. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Sarkhosh, Ali; Andersen, Peter C.; Huff, Dustin M. "JAPANESE PERSIMMON CULTIVARS IN FLORIDA1". edis.ifas.ufl.edu. University of Florida. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Freedman, Georgia. "All About Persimmons and Persimmon Varieties". seriouseats.com. Serious Eats. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- ^ a b ""This is the year of persimmons, with +15% added value"". freshplaza.com. Fresh Plaza. 24 November 2021. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f Ryugo, Kay; Schroeder, Charles A.; Sugiura, Akira; Yanemori, Keizo. "Growing Persimmons" (PDF). ucanr.edu. ucanr.edu/. Retrieved 15 May 2023.
- ^ a b TALAVERA, A. (25 March 2022). "Una mutación natural podría frenar la crisis del caqui". lasprovincias.es. Las Provincias. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- ^ "Diospyros virginiana (Common persimmon)". Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Plant Database.
- ^ "For Enslaved Cooks, Persimmon Beer Combined Ingenuity and Joy". Atlas Obscura. 12 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Kaiser, Cheryl; Ernst, Matt. "American Persimmon" (PDF). uky.edu. University of Kentucky. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ "Persimmon". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture.
- ^ "Diospyros texana Scheele". Flora of North America. eFloras.org. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
- ^ Carey, Jennifer H. (1994). "Diospyros texana". Fire Effects Information System. United States Forest Service. Retrieved 24 November 2009.
- ^ Mish, Frederic C., Ed. (1984), Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary Springfield, Massachusetts, Merriam-Webster, p. 877
- ^ "Persimmon". Online Etymology Dictionary. 2022. Retrieved 25 April 2022.
- ^ "Persimmon production in 2019; Crops/World regions/Production quantity (from pick lists)". Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: Division of Statistics (FAOSTAT). 2020. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- ^ Zang, Jing. "Taiqiu Variety Saves Persimmon Market This Autumn". producereport.com. Producer Report. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ a b c d e Donnelly, Fiona (27 April 2022). "Give persimmon a chance: five ways to eat the misunderstood fruit from salad to Alanna Sapwell's tarte tartin". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 December 2022.
- ^ Mammadova, Leman (24 February 2019). "Azerbaijan to open new persimmon processing plants". azernews.az. Azernews. Retrieved 7 May 2022.
- ^ "Spanish persimon". Foods from Spain. 2012. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
- ^ "Spanish Persimmons: the Sweetest Things!". Foods & Wines from Spain. 22 November 2018.
- ^ ISBN 9780851996387
- PMID 2772176.
- PMID 13721571.
- ^ "Bezoars". Merck Online Medical Dictionary. Merck. 2007. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
- ISBN 0911910166
- ^ a b United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". Retrieved 28 March 2024.
- ^ )
- ^ Stein, Larry; Nesbitt, Monte; Kamas, Jim (2013). "Persimmons" (PDF). AgriLife Extension: Texas Fruit & Nut Production. Retrieved 12 August 2022.
- OCLC 277203364.
- ^ "Japanese Kaki Persimmon Leaves Bulk Tea". WAWAZA.
- ^ "Persimmons: How to choose, store and prepare". The Los Angeles Times. 24 November 2009. Retrieved 17 June 2023.
- PMID 11262055.
- ^ University of Mo. Extension (11 July 2008). "Persimmon Seeds Predict: Warm Winter, Above Average Snow Fall in the Ozarks". FreShare. Archived from the original on 24 October 2014.
- ^ Ruch, Amber (6 October 2021). "Fork, knife or spoon: Checking persimmon seeds to predict winter weather". kfvs12.com. KFVS 12. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
- ^ "The Tiger and Dried Persimmon". Kookminbooks. Archived from the original on 20 October 2014.
- PMID 30841281.
External links
- Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). 1911. .