On her recent trip to China, my mother and her friends were amazed at not only the variety of fruit on offer but the enormous sizes they came in. And, the fat luscious Persimmon was what they enjoyed the most. I had heard of this fruit but rarely seen it. So imagine my delight when a friend carried some for me all the way from Mumbai. Not only did my generous friend bring me persimmon, she also offered to cook it for me using a recipe from a guest at Martha Stewart’s kitchen. She made a persimmon white chocolate bread pudding and this recipe is a keeper.
It was delicious and I am sharing the recipe with you. Persimmons are found between September to December. Apparently, they are cultivated in India. They are grown in the far north and on occasion in the Nilgiris too. This is the perfect season to eat this fruit accompanied by the warm flavours of nutmeg and cinnamon. Persimmons are available in plenty at the moment in Mumbai ,Chennai and Bangalore. If you can coax a friend to bring you even one, it is enough to make a dessert for 10.
The two commonly known varieties of persimmon are the Hachiya and the Fuyu. The Hachiya is large and oval, tomato like in appearance, and has a high level of astringency. When I tasted a bit before cooking it left a chalky aftertaste almost like that of a nagapazham/kala jamun. It was not yet completely ripe. When fully ripe, the leaf portion can be easily twisted off the crown. The inside is pulpy and jelly-like. The Fuyu persimmon is rounder and smaller and orangey yellow and not as red as the Hachiya. It is also less astringent in comparison, which makes it suitable for jams, smoothies and jellies. Once you cut it open, it looks exactly like a giant peach but without the pit.
The persimmon works well with cinnamon just like the yellow pumpkin does. It echoes the season of autumn. This one is the perfect “fall exchange recipe”. On that toasty note, here it is.
Read more about food on Shanthini’s website www.pinklemontreerecipes.com