He Shi

He Shi

　　【He Shi】 Also known as millstone persimmon, lid persimmon, or box persimmon, He Shi is the main cultivar of persimmon trees in Shandong. It is characterized by large fruit, with a diameter of about 100

　　mm, weighing 200–250 grams, and a flat, round shape. The middle has a furrow, making it look like two fruit boxes joined together or two millstones stacked to form a mill-like shape.

　　The fruit surface is smooth and orange-yellow, with pale yellow flesh that is sweet and juicy, and seedless. It ripens in mid to late October. Fresh fruit is resistant to storage and transport.

　　 He Shi is rich in nutrients, containing large amounts of sugar and starch, with protein content higher than that of apples and pears. Persimmons can be soaked for a day and night to remove astringency and then eaten raw,

　　or stored for a long time to undergo sugar conversion before consumption. He Shi can also be made into dried persimmons, persimmon cakes, persimmon frost candy, and persimmon wine. Persimmons can be used medicinally; the calyx of the persimmon is warm in nature, with a bitter and astringent taste,

　　and can relieve qi stagnation and reverse flow, mainly treating symptoms such as hiccups and belching; charred dried persimmons can treat bloody stools. Young persimmon leaves are stir-fried to make persimmon leaf tea, also known as “health and longevity tea,” which is particularly effective in treating

　　scurvy. During the annual Double Ninth Festival at the Qianfo Mountain Fair in Jinan, people flock to the fair to buy He Shi. Aside from eating them, they are also displayed on desks or hung on walls for ornamental purposes.

　　They are also hung on walls for ornamental purposes.

　　 He Shi from Shandong is mainly produced in Licheng, Tai’an, Haiyang, Qixia, Linyi, Qingzhou, and other areas, with scattered cultivation in other counties and cities.