Is it a bird; is it a plane? Two-ma-toe, te-may-toe… persimmons – what are you talking about?
It sure is a strange fruit – or is it a vegetable? Well it is a fruit, which looks like a tomato. The skin is tougher though. It is orange – like an orange, tastes a bit like a mango, but not as sweet. It has the texture of a pear and contains twice the amount of fibre as an apple. Persimmons are a winter fruit loaded with vitamin C and a lot of other good ‘stuff’ like antioxidants and potassium. It is said to help prevent arteries from clogging. The flavours are intense. This is one interesting fruit if you ask me.
It grows on a tree and is referred to as Sharon fruit or Kaki. Alleé Bleue in Franschhoek is one of the main growers in South Africa and calls them the Cape Persimmon. South Africa has only around 20 producers of the fruit and it is predominantly produced for the export market.
Okay, so can you eat it? Absolutely!
We were treated to a starter, main and dessert at Alleé Bleue, from recipes created by foodie, sorry, South African celebrity chef, Rozanne Stevens. Wait, almost forgot the welcome cocktail – imagine this. Juice from a baked persimmon topped with Alleé Bleue bubbly, a sprinkle of sugar, dash of lemon and a pinch of nutmeg, all stirred up with a sprig of Rosemary… lekker! (I highly recommend you rather download this cocktail recipe from the link below, maybe I missed some important ingredient)
As a food and wine combination the persimmons are impressive. We paired Alleé Bleue’s Chenin Blanc, Pinotage and even some bubbly with the dishes.
Well the long and the short of it is – in my opinion you will not suddenly find persimmons in every second restaurant or next to your medium rare T- Bone with your weekly Wednesday night braai or even on the shelves of your favourite grocery store… YET, but it’s coming.
Raw, cooked or baked; this is a very versatile fruit. The moment all the foodies get their hands on persimmons and start experimenting with them I’m sure we will see a lot more of this interesting fruit.
Here is a short (one minute) clip to demonstrate the harvest process
Tip & Tricks: Best way to cure a fresh persimmon from their sometimes slightly bitter taste; stick them in the freezer overnight, allow to defrost and eat.
Why not experiment with persimmons? Here are some of Rozanne’s recipes to download. Persimmons will be available in Food Lovers Market stores nationwide (Some of the larger Spar shops also carry the fruit)
(Recipes will be uploaded again 0 lost due to new sit)
More recipes available; feel free to pop us an email or comment below and we will send you more suggestions. (info@bottleplatepillow.co.za)
Post, photo and video by BottlePlatePillow (Excluding recipes and recipe photos)
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