Dried Persimmon

Also known asKaki · Hoshigaki · Diospyros kaki · 柿子 · 柿饼

Name: Dried persimmon — persimmons (Diospyros kaki), typically the astringent type, peeled and dried until soft and sweet. In Japanese it is hoshigaki, in Korean gotgam, and in Chinese shibing.

Description

Persimmon is native to China and has been cultivated for more than a thousand years in China, Japan and Korea. Many persimmon varieties, such as Hachiya, are extremely astringent when unripe and taste dry and furry because of high tannin levels. Drying is a traditional way to remove this astringency and turn the fruit into a sweet delicacy.

In Japan, peeled persimmons are strung up and hung in the cold, dry air for weeks, and are gently massaged so they develop a soft, jammy interior and a pale, sugary bloom on the outside. In China, flattened dried persimmon is sold coated in white sugar frost, and in Korea, dried persimmon is a winter snack and an ingredient in a traditional spiced punch.

Main nutrition value

Dried persimmon is a concentrated source of natural sugars and dietary fibre, and provides some vitamin A (carotenoids), manganese and potassium.

How best to be consumed

Dried persimmon is soft, sweet and honey-like, and is enjoyed in small portions.

1. Eat slowly, sliced, as a treat with tea.
2. Slice into cheese boards, porridge or salads.
3. Use in Korean sujeonggwa, the sweet cinnamon and ginger punch.
4. Choose traditionally dried, no-added-sugar persimmons where possible.
5. Store in a cool, dry place, or freeze for longer storage.

Overconsumption could cause…

Drying removes water but leaves the sugar, so dried fruit is far more concentrated in sugar and energy than the fresh fruit.

1. High natural sugar and calorie intake from eating many pieces.
2. Digestive problems from tannins if unripe or poorly dried astringent persimmons are eaten, which can form a hard mass called a bezoar in the stomach in rare cases.
3. Blood sugar effects in people managing diabetes.
4. Tooth decay from sticky dried fruit.

GroupsDried FruitsHigh fibreLow fatLow sodiumRich in potassiumDried

Related foodsDried LycheeDried DatesDried LonganDried PearCurrantsDried Figs

Wikipedia — Persimmon, used for origin and general background: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persimmon Wikipedia — Dried fruit, used for general background on drying and storing fruit: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dried_fruit