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Persimmons
Appears in
Published 2000
In the late autumn Italian markets glow with the rich translucent orange of the persimmons from Cesena, just down the Via Emilia towards the Adriatic. Some of this fragile fruit finds its way to our greengrocers here, carefully wrapped in blue tissue paper and cradled in wood shavings. Swollen and taut-skinned, it looks almost overripe, and you will sometimes find it being sold at knockdown prices because the greengrocers cannot get rid of the fruit.
Do not be tempted to bite into a firm persimmon. It will be unripe and so full of tannin that it will scour your mouth. It will also curdle cream without a doubt. The Israeli Sharon fruit is a hybrid of the persimmon, or kaki, but without the tannin, and can be eaten soft or firm. It is slightly smaller and squarer than the kaki and good in salads, both sweet and savoury. As with all members of the family, the fruit is high in vitamins C and A.