Fushan Persimmon Cakes

Fushan Persimmon Cakes

　　Fushan Town has 63,912 mu of mountainous land with loose, fertile soil that is highly suitable for growing persimmon trees. Coupled with a history of over 200 years in cultivating green persimmons and making persimmon cakes, local residents have rich experience in persimmon cultivation and skilled management practices, producing large, sweet-tasting fruits.

　　Residents in both Pingyang and Hantang villages of Fushan Town have mastered a complete set of sophisticated persimmon cake production techniques. Their peeling skills, for instance, are highly refined—many can peel nearly 1,000 pounds of green persimmons per day. The peeling process demands precision: the outer skin must be removed evenly without damaging the second layer, as any harm would compromise the quality of the final product. After peeling, the persimmons undergo repeated sun-drying, cooling, and kneading, followed by steaming in bamboo steamers along with prepared sulfur fumes. They are then exposed to a micro-fungal strain called “white enzyme,” cultivated from the previous year’s batch. This entire process involves over 20 steps and takes about half a month before the green persimmons are transformed into persimmon cakes.

　　Produced in Hantang and Pingyang villages of Fushan Town, these persimmon cakes are flat and round, snow-white in appearance, with sweet flesh that is both nutritious and edible. They also offer medicinal benefits and play an important role in human health. Fushan persimmon cakes are not only sold across China but also exported to Southeast Asia, where demand often exceeds supply. Currently, Fushan Town has over 3,000 mu of persimmon orchards, and the persimmon cake industry has become a thriving source of prosperity for local mountain communities.