Persimmons of Tang County

Persimmons of Tang County

　　In late autumn, as you enter the western part of Tang County, the first sight to greet you is a landscape of “frost-kissed leaves glowing red along the river, and mountains ablaze with persimmons.” It stirs a natural curiosity and the feeling that “the essence of autumn lies right here in these hills.”

Persimmons are flat and round in shape, with a glossy, smooth, and richly colored vermilion skin. They are thin-skinned, seedless, and have deep red flesh that is rich, juicy, sweet, and delicious. The fruits are uniform in size, averaging about 300 grams each. Persimmons are highly nutritious. They contain 17%–19% soluble solids, over 19% sugar content, 2.83% tannin, and 10.89 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams of flesh. Notably, their sugar content is extremely high, mostly consisting of glucose, fructose, and sucrose, with very low acidity, making them exceptionally sweet — ranking among the sweetest fruits, hence they are hailed as the “sweetest golden fruit.” They also contain higher levels of beta-carotene, vitamin C, and trace elements such as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and iodine than other fruits like apples, pears, peaches, and apricots.

Tang County is the native soil of persimmons, with over 1,000 years of cultivation history.

Persimmons are cold-resistant and drought-tolerant, with thin and lightly colored skin. Botanically, they can be classified into various types such as round persimmons, flat persimmons, four-edged persimmons, eight-edged persimmons, plate persimmons, chicken-heart persimmons, ox-heart persimmons, and bottle persimmons. In terms of properties, some persimmon trees can remain highly productive even at 100 years of age. At 300 years, they are believed to help reduce rebellious qi and relieve nausea, treating hiccups, belching, and persistent nausea. Persimmon leaves, which have an astringent and neutral nature, have been recently recognized as an effective medicinal herb with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, hemostatic, and blood pressure-lowering properties. They can treat acute and chronic conditions such as tuberculosis with hemoptysis, gastric ulcer bleeding, functional uterine bleeding, and retinal bleeding. Persimmon leaves can also be made into persimmon leaf tea. Regular consumption of this tea may help soften blood vessels, prevent arteriosclerosis, reduce obesity, and treat insomnia and esophageal cancer.

It is worth noting that although persimmons are an excellent fruit and medicine, they should not be consumed in excess or on an empty stomach. Unripe persimmons contain tannins that can solidify into lumps upon contact with acid, potentially causing “gastric bezoars.” Therefore, avoid eating acidic foods after consuming persimmons.