Kaki (Japanese Persimmon)
Autumn is the season for Japanese `Persimmon. I was never fond of this fruit when till just recently. Now, I have developed a great fondness for this fruit as it is so versatile and so tasty.
There are several kinds of kaki in the market, but what you need to look out for is the seeded kaki (種あり柿) and the seedless kaki (種なし柿) There are also the astringent kaki (渋柿）and non-astringent kaki (甘柿）. Don't worry if you are not sure, as most of the kaki in the supermarket are the sweet, non-astringent type as long as you stick to the flat round ones. The astringent kaki is usually dried kaki (干し柿）which is also a great delicacy. (It goes great with cheese!).
You can read more about the types of Kaki in this article :Tsunagu - "Seven things about persimmons, a popular autumn fruit in Japan".)
It is also a highly nutritional fruit with more health benefits than other fruits. You can read about that in this article : DovMed "7 Health Benefits of Japanese Persimmon"
To eat the kaki, first you need to peel it, take the top off and cut it into wedges. You can eat it while it is still hard and crisp if it is a sweet kaki, or you can wait it until it gets soft and eat it. If it gets too soft, just cut it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon or use it in a smoothie (recipe follows). The crisp kaki really goes well with parma ham, The saltiness of the ham and the sweet kaki is an ideal match. It is a great addition to a salad like mango.
There are several kinds of kaki in the market, but what you need to look out for is the seeded kaki (種あり柿) and the seedless kaki (種なし柿) There are also the astringent kaki (渋柿）and non-astringent kaki (甘柿）. Don't worry if you are not sure, as most of the kaki in the supermarket are the sweet, non-astringent type as long as you stick to the flat round ones. The astringent kaki is usually dried kaki (干し柿）which is also a great delicacy. (It goes great with cheese!).
You can read more about the types of Kaki in this article :Tsunagu - "Seven things about persimmons, a popular autumn fruit in Japan".)
It is also a highly nutritional fruit with more health benefits than other fruits. You can read about that in this article : DovMed "7 Health Benefits of Japanese Persimmon"
To eat the kaki, first you need to peel it, take the top off and cut it into wedges. You can eat it while it is still hard and crisp if it is a sweet kaki, or you can wait it until it gets soft and eat it. If it gets too soft, just cut it in half and scoop out the flesh with a spoon or use it in a smoothie (recipe follows). The crisp kaki really goes well with parma ham, The saltiness of the ham and the sweet kaki is an ideal match. It is a great addition to a salad like mango.
Kaki Smoothie
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KAKI & Mizuna Salad
Cut Kaki into 4cm strips. Cut Mizuna 4 cm long. Toss mizuna and kaki with Mayonnaise or dressing of your preference.
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