persimmon

A fruit from China with the scientific name Diospyros kaki (fig.) and belonging to the botanic family Ebenaceae. This orange coloured fruit resembles a tomato in size and form and has on its top four sturdy kaki leaves. There are several species, some hard others softer. The skin is hard to digest and is better left uneaten and in dried form this sweet fruits are peeled and air dried in a sunny place, which makes them into a snack that was in ancient China once used as a tribute to the imperial court. The drying process is completed after about 3 weeks, when a white powdery crust of persimmon sugar forms on the outside. Dried persimmons are are usually flattened for easy storage (fig.). Fresh it is best peeled or cut in half and spooned out. In Thai called phlab, phlab jihn, maphlab and takoh. The fruit is very similar in appearance to look chan, the fragrant Gold Apple, which is often referred to as the fruit of the Sandalwood Tree, and from which the Thai candy kanom saneh jan (fig.) originates. The sap of the tree can be used to make bamboo hats waterproof in a traditional manner, as is allegedly done in Japan with the ajirogasa. 回