If you are in Japan in the fall, it is impossible to miss the Kaki (persimmon). Persimmon is a popular autumn fruit in Japan. This fruit is native to China and spread more than 1000 years ago in Korea and Japan. Persimmon can eat fresh, dried or cook and commonly use around the world in jellies, beverages, pies and puddings.
While there are hundreds of types of persimmons, Hachiya and Fuyu are the most popular. Hachia persimmons look heart-shaped and also give the unripe fruit a dry and bitter taste due to the presence of a plant chemical called tannin. For this reason, this type of persimmon must be fully ripe before eating.
Fuyu persimmon contains tannins, but unlike Hachiya persimmons, it is crispy and tomato-shape which can enjoy even if it is unripe.
What Is Hoshigaki?
Hoshigaki or dried persimmon is one of the delicacies Traditional Japanese food. This dried persimmon painstakingly prepared and usually served with a cup of green tea or alone.
Hoshigaki is one of the oldest dried fruits in Japan because it did not spoil all winter long. Delicate and gummy Hoshigaki is a special type of dried persimmon that is known for its rich and caramel sweetness. Although delicious (and yet expensive) today, Hoshigaki is a traditional Japanese food.
How Japanese make Hoshigaki or dried persimmon in Japan?
Persimmons should harvest when they are still firm and orange. Then peel with steady movements.
Fruits traditionally hang with a string tied from the stem in a warm, ventilated environment, like a window to the sun.
After about five days in the sun, persimmons develop a thin skin. Without damaging the skin, gently squeeze the fruit between your fingers until the inner juice is smooth. Every day after this, the fruits should gently massage in the same way until the white color remains in the body of the persimmon. This process lasts for three to five weeks until the juice inside the persimmon reaches a minimum and this is when our dried persimmons can consume.
