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The Chocolate Persimmon
Ever since I mentioned the chocolate persimmon the questions have been rolling in. Are there really chocolate persimmons? What do they taste like? Where can I find them?
I even know someone who dreamt about them.
This weekend I finally got a hold of some chocolate persimmons of my own, the first I have seen this season.
Officially called Tsurunoko, chocolate persimmons are of the non-astringent variety, similar to fuyus. However they are unique in that the flesh inside is more brown than orange and the flavor is sweeter. These are highly sought after fruits; when ripe they do indeed possess subtle notes of chocolate flavor.
Like the fuyu, the texture of a chocolate persimmon is firm (not jelly-soft like the hachiya).
Keep your eyes out for Maru, or “cinnamon persimmons,” and Hyakume, “brown sugar persimmons” as well.
The vendor at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market said that the weather has not been favorable for persimmons this year because it is too dry. The season will be short, so be sure to get yours next week.
Has anyone else been able to find chocolate or other specialty persimmons?
I had a chocolate persimmon 4 years ago, and havn’t been able to get my hand on one since- DON’T pass up an oppurtunity to try one!
I am going to try Chocolate Persimmon for first time! Wish me like!!!
Oh no! Saw one at the market yesterday in Irvine, but for some reason passed it by and bought some regular persimmons =( I had no idea they were such a delicate rarity!
Yeah, I was at the market recently and wished I had your post about how to pick a persimmon with me- I couldn’t remember if it was supposed to be squishy or firm, light or heavy, etc- ended up buying a bunch of the Fuyus, and they were pretty good!
anon:Great advice! Always buy specialty persimmons if you see them. Too bad for NB!!—–Karin:Don’t forget that you can always ask the vendors. They are experts at what to do with their own fruits.
Dreaming of chocolate persimmons? That’s just silly 🙂
jed:You should confront your fear and go buy some this weekend 🙂
I’ve seen chocolate persimmons at the Old Monterey FM. Can’t remember ever seeing them in SF though.If you want to save persimmons past the short season you can try drying them. You can do it in the oven, and I think if you do hachiyas that way then don’t have to worry about the astringency (?). Or you can try to dry them via the fabled hoshigaki method, but I never got that to work exactly.
I had no idea that the persimmon season was so short! But I was driving home from work yesterday and I think I saw a persimmon tree in someones front yard- sounds like a midnight persimmon search and rescue mission to me!
Can a persimmon tree grow in Alabama or Ohio if I saved seeds?
Chocolate persimmons are just cool fruit. But what I really wanna try is the bacon persimmon.
Oh and btw, caveat emptor:Beware of the Bezoar!!!!!http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18951126
NB:I bet grilled persimmons wrapped in bacon would be awesome!!And yes, definitely do not eat unripe persimmons. They can kill you. But they are so gross when unripe, I do not know who would eat them like that anyway.
Hi how May Inknow when it is ripe soft or squishy? What color is it when ripe? Please help new to persimmon…
Hi! These types of persimmons can be eaten firm or softer. The more oblong shape persimmons need to be eaten squishy.
Just got back from Maui. While there, I found a very special fruit stand that sold the most amazing and unusual organic fruits. It was there that I found my first chocolate persimmon. The fruit was ripe and when I went to eat it, it was just like chocolate pudding. Scooped out the flesh with a spoon. Amazing! Also they had another fruit that tasted like butterscotch. If anyone knows where to get this fruit in Toronto, Canada please post.
I’ve heard that chocolate persimmons are made that way by a special processing method–ethanol treatment or whatnot? Anyway, they are alright. The Anonymous above my comment is describing the black sapote–a tropical persimmon relative that is like chocolate pudding–but is not the same fruit.
The persimmons I buy are organic, so definitely no post processing. The farmers said they are just a different varietal. The black sapote sounds awesome!!!! Thx for the info.
In the tropics and warm subtropics is the Chocolate pudding fruit aka chocolate mousse.Also sometimes called chocolate persimmon. It is also related to the common persimmons and quite often the two are mistaken for each other. This is probably what anonymous above found in Hawaii. The choc mousse tree looks different -more glossy and does not drop leaves in winter as the normal chocolate persimmons do.
We planted a Chocolate Persimmon tree in our yard last year. It’s very young and has not bared fruit yet. We gave it a home in the center of our yard because we want to appreciate it’s beauty and uniqueness year round!
I’m currently in Foz do Iguaçu, PR- Brazil and I find two different types of “caqui” at the local markets. I just bought the chocolate and I’m excited to try it! I had no idea about these fruits before I got here..