Persimmon

Persimmon is a unique autumn fruit that rewards patience and punishes impatience. The single most important thing to understand is that there are two distinct categories—astringent and non-astringent—and conflating them leads to one of the most unpleasant eating experiences in all of fruit. Astringent varieties, most notably Hachiya, contain high levels of soluble tannins when unripe that create an intensely drying, chalky sensation in the mouth (the feeling is sometimes compared to drinking extremely strong tea). These fruits must be completely soft, almost jelly-like, before eating. Non-astringent varieties like Fuyu can be eaten firm, like an apple, with no astringency whatsoever. When ripe, the flesh becomes custard-soft, honey-sweet, and deeply perfumed with notes of caramel, apricot, and mango. The fruit is botanically related to ebony wood, and its name derives from the Algonquian word pasimin, meaning 'dry fruit.' China produces roughly two million metric tons annually, though California, Japan, and Korea grow excellent specimens with distinct regional character.