Keep your fruit bowl topped up with tasty persimmon at all times of year if you want to boost the levels of essential minerals and nutrients in your diet. The leaves of this fruit are often used in therapeutic teas due to their tannin and vitamin C content, while the fruit itself is very high in vitamins A, B, and C, along with essential antioxidants, manganese, and potassium. These colourful fruits and their leaves should be a regular part of your daily diet, and here’s our take on some of the most important reasons why!
When should I eat persimmon?
You don’t need to feel under the weather to opt for healthy persimmon. This fruit is plentiful at any time of year and each one contains half of your daily recommended intake of vitamin A. Their antioxidants can reduce cell damage and may also help individuals with Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and even cancer. The extremely high levels of fibre in each fruit can also help to cut cholesterol. Indeed, you could even call them a super food, so it’s a good idea to make sure you’re always stocked up with persimmon in your fruit bowl at home and at work.
More about persimmon
This bright fruit is native to Japan and commonly grown right across China and Korea. One of the commercial varieties you’ll have seen in the supermarkets is the Sharon fruit, which is an Israeli cultivar of the fruit that can be eaten whole. A Spanish cultivar is also common in the area around Valencia. The most common cultivar is Diospyrus kaki, which can grow up to 60 feet high and produces fruits during the late autumn.
How do I eat persimmon?
There are lots of ways to benefit from the health boosts offered by these fruits. You can roast them whole, slice them and add them into any sweet or savoury dishes, or simply eat them raw. Persimmons can add a unique flavour to cakes and breads, and are also great for snacking on when oven dried.
You’ll find persimmon breads at a variety of local artisanal bakeries and unique teas made from infusing the leaves are also available at tea houses. Persimmon leaf sushi is one of the popular dishes of Hiraso Nara. Check out our magazine to find out more about the healthiest fruits and foods to keep you fit for work and play.