The persimmon () is the edible fruit of a number of species of trees in the genus Diospyros. The most widely cultivated of these is the Chinese, Korean, and Japanese kaki persimmon, Diospyros kaki. In 2023, China produced 80% of the world's persimmons.
Description Like the tomato, the persimmon is not a berry in the general culinary sense, but its morphology as a single fleshy fruit derived from the ovary of a single flower means it is a berry in the botanical sense. The tree Diospyros kaki is the most widely cultivated species of persimmon. Typically the tree reaches 4.5 to 18 metres (15 to 60 feet) in height and is round-topped. It usually stands erect, but sometimes can be crooked or have a willowy appearance. The leaves are 7–15 centimetres (3–6 inches) long, and are oblong in shape with brown-hairy petioles 2 cm (3⁄4 in) in length. They are leathery and glossy on the upper surface, brown and silky underneath. The leaves are deciduous and bluish-green in color. In autumn, they turn to yellow, orange, or red. Persimmon trees are typically dioecious, meaning male and female flowers are produced on separate trees. Some trees have both male and female flowers and in rare cases may bear a perfect flower, which contains both male and female reproductive organs in one flower. Male flowers are pink and appear in groups of three. They have a four-parted calyx, a corolla, and 24 stamens in two rows. Female flowers are creamy-white and appear singly. They have a large calyx, a four-parted, yellow corolla, eight undeveloped stamens, and a rounded ovary bearing the style and stigma. 'Perfect' flowers are a cross between the two. Persimmon fruit matures late in the fall and can stay on the tree until winter. In color, the ripe fruit of the cultivated strains range from glossy light yellow-orange to dark red-orange depending on the species and variety. They similarly vary in size from 1.5 to 9 cm (1⁄2 to 3+1⁄2 in) in diameter, and in shape the varieties may be spherical, acorn-, or pumpkin-shaped. The flesh is astringent until fully ripe and is yellow, orange, or dark-brown in color. The calyx generally remains attached to the fruit after harvesting, but becomes easy to remove once the fruit is ripe. The ripe fruit is high in sugars, mainly sucrose, fructose and glucose, and is sweet in taste.
Chemistry Persimmon fruits contain the phytochemicals catechin, gallocatechin and betulinic acid.
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 (Diospyros kaki) is the most commercially important persimmon. It is native to China, Northeast India, and northern Indochina. It was first cultivated in China more than 2,000 years ago and introduced to Japan in the 7th century and to Korea in the 14th century. China, Japan, and South Korea are also the top producers of persimmons. It is known as shì (柿) in Chinese, kaki (柿) in Japanese, and gam (감) in Korean, and it is also called a Korean mango. Known as haluwabed (हलुवाबेद) in Nepal, where it is one of the most popular seasonal fruits, the persimmon has a long history and is used for various culinary purposes. It was introduced to California and southern Europe in the 1800s and to the State of São Paulo, Brazil, in the 1890s, afterwards spreading across the country with the Japanese immigrants. The State of São Paulo is still the largest producer within Brazil with an area of 3,610 hectares (8,900 acres) dedicated to persimmon culture in 2003. Persimmon trees are deciduous with broad, stiff leaves. The fruit is sweet and slightly tangy with a soft to occasionally fibrous texture.
Varieties
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