Persimmon
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2008-07-15T09:03:49Z
Melesse
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replacing image with version on commons
:''This article refers to the edible fruit. For the British construction company, see [[Persimmon plc]]; for the racehorse, see [[Persimmon (horse)]].''
{{Taxobox
| name = Persimmon
| image = Persimmon 0375.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = American persimmon flower
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
| divisio = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[dicotyledon|Magnoliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Ericales]]
| familia = [[Ebenaceae]]
| genus = ''[[Diospyros]]''
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = See text
}}
A '''persimmon''' is the edible [[fruit]] of a number of species of trees of the genus ''[[Diospyros]]'' in the ebony wood family ([[Ebenaceae]]). The word ''persimmon'' is derived from ''putchamin'', ''pasiminan'', or ''pessamin'', from [[Powhatan]], an [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian language]] (related to [[Blackfoot language|Blackfoot]], [[Cree language|Cree]] and [[Mohican language|Mohican]]) of the [[eastern United States]], meaning "a dry fruit".<ref> Mish, Frederic C., Editor in Chief ''Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary'' Springfield, Massachuetts, U.S.A.:1984--Merriam-Webster Page 877</ref> Persimmons are generally light [[Gold (color)|yellow-orange]] to dark [[red-orange]] in color, and depending on the species, vary in size from 1.5-9 cm (0.5-4 in) diameter, and may be spherical, acorn-, or pumpkin-shaped.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.extento.hawaii.edu/kbase/crop/crops/i_persim.htm
|title = General Crop Information: Persimmon
|publisher = University of Hawaii, Extension Entomology & UH-CTAHR Integrated Pest Management Program
|author =
|date =
|accessdate = 2007-01-15
}}</ref> The [[Sepal|calyx]] often remains attached to the fruit after harvesting, but becomes easier to remove as it ripens. They are high in [[glucose]], with a balanced [[protein]] profile, and possess various medicinal and chemical uses.
==Species==
[[Image:Persimmon.jpg|thumb|left|''Diospyros kaki'' 柿]]
The most widely cultivated species is the Japanese {{nihongo|'''kaki persimmon''' or '''kaki'''|柿|kaki}} (''[[Diospyros kaki]]''), called "shizi" (柿子) in Chinese. These are sweet, slightly tart fruits with a soft to occasionally 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, and numerous [[cultivar]]s have been selected. It is edible in its crisp firm state, but has its best flavor when allowed to rest and soften slightly after harvest. The Japanese cultivar 'Hachiya' is a widely grown cultivar. The fruit has a high [[tannin]] content which makes the immature 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 comprises thick pulpy jelly encased in a waxy thin skinned shell. "'''Sharon Fruit'''" (named originally after [[Sharon plain]] in [[Israel]]) is the [[trade name]] for ''D. kaki'' fruit that has been artificially ripened with chemicals.<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/persimmon.html
|title = Persimmon Fruit Facts
|publisher = California Rare Fruit Growers, Inc.,
|author =
|date =
|accessdate = 2007-01-15
}}</ref> It is also known as the "Korean Mango".
[[Image:Persimmons yamagata 2005-10.JPG|right|thumb|Nakagawa, Nanyo City, Yamagata, Japan. October 2005.]]The '''American persimmon''' (''[[Diospyros virginiana]]'') is native to the eastern [[United States]].
The '''Black persimmon''' or '''Black sapote''' (''[[Diospyros digyna]]'') is native to [[Mexico]]. Its fruit has green skin and white flesh, which turns black when ripe.
The '''Mabolo''' or '''Velvet-apple''' (''[[Diospyros discolor]]'') is native to the [[Philippines]]. It is bright red when ripe.
The '''Date-plum''' (''[[Diospyros lotus]]'') is native to southwest [[Asia]] and southeast [[Europe]]. It was known to the ancient [[Ancient Greece|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 language|English]] name probably derives from [[Persian Language|Persian]] ''Khormaloo'' خرمالو literally "Date-Plum", referring to the taste of this fruit which is a reminiscent of both [[plum]]s and [[Date Palm|dates]]. This species is one candidate for the lotus 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 [[Lotophagi| lotus-eaters]].<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/1727
|title = The Odyssey by Homer, p.76 of this public domain e-text
|publisher = Project Gutenberg
|author =
|date =
|accessdate = 2007-10-13
}}</ref>
There are many other species of persimmon that are inedible to humans, and thus have little or no commercial value for their fruit.
==Fruit==
[[Image:Persimon.jpg|thumb|right|A persimmon fruit]]
[[Image:PersimmonWatercolor.jpg|right|thumb|Japanese persimmon (cultivar 'Hachiya') - watercolor 1887]]
Commercially, there are generally 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 [[tannin]]s and are unpalatable if eaten before softening. The astringency of tannins is removed through ripening by exposure to light over several days, or artificially with chemicals such as [[alcohol]] and [[carbon dioxide]] which change tannin into the insoluble form. This [[bletting]] process is sometimes jumpstarted by exposing the fruit to cold or frost which hastens cellular wall breakdown. These astringent persimmons can also be prepared for commercial purposes by drying.
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 to very very soft.
[[Image:2006persimmon.PNG|thumb|left|Persimmon output in 2006]]
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 firm. These varieties are highly sought after and can be found at specialty markets or farmers markets only. 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.
{|
|- valign=top
|
* '''Astringent'''
** Hongsi (Korean, 홍시)- large, tall & shaped as an acorn
** 'Hachiya' (ja:蜂屋), 'Kōshū hyakume' (ja:甲州百目), 'Fuji' (ja:富士) [http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/new/kaki/textbase/kousyuuhyakume.html]
** Tanenashi
*** 'Hiratanenashi' (ja:平核無)[http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/new/kaki/textbase/hiratanenashi.html]
*** 'Tone wase' (ja:刀根早生)[http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/new/kaki/textbase/tonewase.html]
** 'Saijō' (ja:西条)[http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/new/kaki/textbase/saijyo.html]
** 'Dōjō hachiya' (ja:堂上蜂屋)[http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/new/kaki/textbase/doujyouhachiya.html]
** '[[Gionbō]]'
** Sheng
** Ormond
|
* '''Nonastringent'''
** 'Fuyu' ([[:ja:富有]])[http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/new/kaki/textbase/fuyuu.html]
** Dan gam (Korean, 단감)- looks like a flattened tomato
** 'Jirō' ([[:ja:次郎柿]])[http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/new/kaki/textbase/jirou.html]
** 'Taishū' (ja:太秋)[http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/new/kaki/textbase/taisyuu.html]
** 'Hanagosho' (ja:花御所)
** 'Izu' (ja:伊豆)[http://www3.tokai.or.jp/ak-shimizu/izumi.jpg]
** 'Sousyū' (ja:早秋)[http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/new/kaki/textbase/cu-soushuu.html]
|}
{{nutritionalvalue
| name = Persimmons
| kJ = 293
| protein = .58 g
| fat = .19 g
| satfat = .02 g
| transfat =
| monofat =
| polyfat =
| omega3fat =
| omega6fat =
| carbs = 18.59 g
| starch =
| sugars = 12.53 g
| lactose =
| fiber = 3.6 g
| sodium_mg = 1
| potassium_mg =
| vitA_ug =
| vitC_mg = 7.5
| thiamin_mg =
| riboflavin_mg = 2.5
| niacin_mg =
| pantothenic_mg =
| folate_ug = 8
| vitD_ug =
| vitE_mg =
| vitK_ug =
| iron_mg = .15
| phosphorus_mg =
| magnesium_mg =
| zinc_mg =
| calcium_mg = 8
| vitB6_mg =
| vitB12_ug =
| water =
| alcohol =
| caffeine =
| source_usda = 1
| note = <br>''Diospyros kaki'', raw
| right=1
}}
===Culinary uses===
Persimmons are eaten fresh or dried, [[raw food diet|raw]] or cooked. When eaten fresh the peel is usually cut/peeled off and the fruit is often cut into quarters or eaten whole like an apple. The flesh ranges from firm to mushy and the texture is unique. The flesh is very sweet and when firm possesses an apple-like crunch.
In [[China]], [[Korea]], [[Japan]], and [[Vietnam]] after harvesting, 'Hachiya' persimmons 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. In Japan the [[dried fruit]] is called ''hoshigaki'' ([[:ja:干し柿|干し柿]]), In China it is known as "shi-bing" (柿饼)in Korea it is known as ''gotgam'' (hangul: 곶감), and in Vietnam it is called ''hồng khô''. It is eaten as a snack or dessert and used for other culinary purposes. In Korea, dried persimmon fruits are used to make the traditional Korean spicy [[Punch (drink)|punch]], ''[[sujeonggwa]]'', while the matured, fermented fruit is used to make a [[persimmon vinegar]] called ''gamsik cho'' (감식초), which is believed to have a wide variety of holistic properties. The ''hoshigaki'' tradition traveled to California with [[Japanese American]] immigrants. A few farms still practice the art, which is being revived in part through the efforts of [[Slow Food USA]], which describes the technique on its site and provides links to producers.
<ref>[http://slowfoodusa.org/ark/japanese_persimmon.html Slow Food USA<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
<ref>{{cite web
|url = http://www.agrotrade.net/html/agrafood/9904/healthy.htm
|title = Food for Health, Produces Most Honestly <nowiki>[</nowiki>''sic''<nowiki>]</nowiki>
|publisher = Korea Agro-Fisheries Trade Corp.
|author =
|date =
|accessdate = 2007-01-15
}}</ref> In some areas of [[northeastern China|Manchuria]] and Korea, the dried leaves of the fruit are used for making [[tea]]. The Korean name for this tea is ''ghamnip cha'' (감잎차).
[[Image:Dried Kaki Fruit.jpg|200px|left|thumb|干し柿 ''Hoshigaki'', Japanese dried persimmon]]
The persimmon also figures prominently in American culinary tradition. It can be used in cookies, cakes, puddings, salads and as a topping for breakfast cereal. [[Persimmon pudding]] is a dessert using fresh persimmons. An annual persimmon festival, featuring a persimmon pudding contest, is held every September in [[Mitchell, Indiana]]. Persimmon pudding is a baked pudding that has the consistency of [[pumpkin pie]] but resembles a [[chocolate brownie|brownie]] and is almost always topped with [[whipped cream]]. Persimmons may be stored at room temperature (20°C) where they will continue to ripen. It is also a native plant in Brazil, South America, where it is referred to as the Caqui.
===Ethnomedical uses===
*In [[traditional Chinese medicine]] the fruit regulates [[ch'i]]
*The raw fruit is used to treat constipation and hemorrhoids, and to stop bleeding. As such, it is not a good idea to consume too many persimmons at once- they can induce diarrhea.
*The cooked fruit is used to treat diarrhea and [[dysentery]]
==Phytonutrients==
The fruits of some persimmon varieties contain the tannins [[catechin]] and [[gallocatechin]],<ref>[http://www.springerlink.com/content/v02167564163632n/ SpringerLink WoodScience]</ref> as well as the anti-tumor compounds [[betulinic acid]] and [[shibuol]], although the latter may also cause gastrointestinal problems.
==Medical precaution==
Unripened persimmons contain the soluble tannin [[shibuol]], which, upon contact with a weak acid, polymerizes in the stomach and forms a gluey coagulum that can affix with other stomach matter.<ref>Verstanding AG, Bauch K, Bloom R, Hadas I, Libson E; Small-bowel phytobezoars: detection with radiography, Radiology, 1989;172:705-707</ref> The ''[[Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy]]'' notes that consumption of persimmons has been known to cause [[bezoars]] that require surgery in over 90% of cases. Persimmon bezoars often occur in epidemics in regions where the fruit is grown.<ref>The Merck Manuals Online Medical Libraries, [http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec02/ch014/ch014b.html Section: Gastrointestinal Disorders, Subject: Bezoars and Foreign Bodies, Topic: Bezoars]</ref><ref>Merck Manual, Rahway, New Jersey, Sixteenth Edition, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Section 52, page 780</ref> Horses may develop a taste for the fruit growing on a tree in their pasture and overindulge also, making them quite ill.
==Wood==
[[Image:Korean persimmonwood chest.jpg|thumb|left|An example of persimmon wood furniture]]
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 North America, the lightly colored, fine-grained wood of ''D. virginiana'' is used to manufacture [[Billiards|billiard]] cues and shuttles (used in the textile industry). Persimmon wood was also heavily used in making the highest-quality heads of the [[golf club (equipment)|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. Over the last few decades persimmon wood has become popular among bow craftsmen, especially in the making of traditional [[longbow]]s.
Like some 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.
==Gallery==
<gallery widths="150px" heights="150px" perrow="4">
Image:Persimmon Garden.jpg|Persimmon orchard northern [[w:Kansai region|Kansai region]], Japan.
Image:Hachiya persimmons on tree close-up.jpg|Hachiya persimmons in December
</gallery>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{commons|Persimmon}}
* [http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/MG242 University of Florida: Oriental Persimmons in Florida, USA]
* [http://www.mitchellpersimmonfestival.org 2008 Mitchell Persimmon Festival, Mitchell, Indiana USA]
*[http://www.persimmonpudding.com persimmonpudding.com - dedicated to growing, education, and use of Diospyros virginiana L., the common, or American persimmon]
*{{ja icon}} [http://fruit.naro.affrc.go.jp/new/kaki/kakistart.html カキに関する情報提供システム (Information about kaki persimmons)], National Institute of Fruit Tree Science, Japan
*[http://www.nokaoimagazine.com/Features/v.11n.6/family_tree.html "Family Tree"] Article about persimmon farm on [[Maui, HI]] by Matt Thayer. ''[[Maui No Ka 'Oi Magazine]]'' Vol.11 No. 6 (Nov. 2007).
[[Category:Ebenaceae]]
[[Category:Fruit]]
[[Category:Chinese ingredients]]
[[Category:Japanese ingredients]]
[[Category:Korean ingredients]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[cv:Хурма]]
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[[fa:خرمالو]]
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[[pl:Persymona]]
[[pt:Caqui]]
[[ru:Хурма]]
[[scn:Fruttu magnu]]
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