This month, I’ll revisit a post from around 8 years ago – all about persimmons! This tomato lookalike appears in the wet markets and grocery stores in Shanghai around this time every year. When at its peak, it should taste quite sweet, with a hint of a honey taste. Its texture is similar to that of an apricot and its skin is a bit tougher than an apple. Nutritionally, it is one remarkable fruit!
Turns out that persimmons are one of the fall fruits that packs a powerful nutritional punch. This fruit is so good that in one study comparing the heart healthy benefits of apples to persimmons, persimmons came out tops in almost every category, from having more fiber to being far richer in helpful anti-oxidants. This prompted one researcher to quip “a persimmon a day will keep more doctors away”.
Persimmons have been cultivated in China for ages and are part of the Chinese diet for just as long. Apart from being sold across the country, persimmons from China are also exported to Southeast Asia, South Korea, Japan and Russia. Indeed, Korea and Japan also grow their own.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), persimmons are used to treat diarrhea, high blood pressure and hardening of the arteries among other ailments.
This time TCM aligns very well with western nutrition as the persimmon is a very good source of fiber, one medium fruit has 6 gms of fiber, nearly 25% of the recommended level for a heart healthy diet. Persimmons are rich in the anti-oxidants, beta-carotene and lycopene, both powerful anti-cancer agents . One persimmon provides over 50% of the recommended daily levels of vitamin A and 25 % of the recommended level of vitamin C. Vitamin A plays an important role in strengthening your immune system while vitamin C is an important anti-oxidant , reducing inflammation that can lead to artery damage.
Persimmons are in season through November so check them out at the local market or grocery store. They are on sale at Epermarket for RMB 22.50 per kilo. Don’t delay and treat yourself to a healthy bite today.
Until the next time – EWS! – Jessica W.
