Persimmon

Persimmon, also known as ‘kaki’ (they come from the Diospyros kaki tree), are from the same family as ebony. They arrive in late Autumn and serve as some consolation for the end of the UK stone fruit season. 

You might have tried Sharon fruit which are a type hailing from the Sharon plain in Israel. 
They may look a bit like big, orange tomatoes but their taste is more like a cross between a mango, a pear and maybe a bit of squash with the texture of nectarine. They’re really good anyway, trust us, and though entirely edible when firm (and without any core or pips), they’re better when left until their flesh is translucent and the juice runs down to your elbows as you eat them.  

In Asia, persimmons are dried on strings in what looks like a giant art installation, becoming the succulent delicacy named ‘hoshigaki’ in Japan and ‘shìbǐng’ in China. The intricate drying process involves peeling each fruit whilst keeping its stalk intact and then massaging it to distribute its sugars. It’s no wonder we’ve heard them described as ‘the wagu beef of dried fruit’ but we might stick to fruit leather unless we can find a willing instructor! 

In terms of eating, we’ve found persimmon and tahini is a match made in heaven as a topping at breakfast and that they excel in both cinnamony baking experiments and wherever you’d use melon or fig in savoury dishes. We can’t wait to investigate the rumour that, when frozen whole, you can scoop out their custard-like insides.