Mishishi Persimmons

Mishishi Persimmons

　　Mishishi Village is located in Baishuizhai Provincial Scenic Area, Paitan Town, Zengcheng City. With its high mountains, dense forests, and fertile soil, the village has over 300 years of history in persimmon cultivation. The persimmons produced here are of superior quality and renowned far and wide. Mishishi persimmons are medium-sized, typically weighing between 200 to 300 grams each, with some as large as over 500 grams. The flesh is fine-grained, seedless or with small seeds, juicy, sweet, and can be peeled without tearing the flesh—offering a taste that is “sweet, soft, and smooth.” They can be stored for over a month. Besides being eaten fresh, they can also be processed into dried persimmons and persimmon powder. Dried persimmons are refreshing and beneficial for the lungs, and can help treat bloody stools, while persimmon powder can relieve sore throats and coughs. Every year before the Mid-Autumn Festival, merchants place advance orders, and supply often falls short of demand. The product is mainly sold to Dongguan, Zhongshan, Guangzhou, as well as Hong Kong and Macau.

　　Mishishi persimmons get their name from Mishishi Village in Paitan Town, Zengcheng City, where they are primarily grown. They are a type of tall deciduous tree belonging to the Diospyros genus of the Ebenaceae family. Due to the area’s high elevation, surrounded by mountains, and its soil—classified as sandy loam with 30% sand and 70% clay and rich in organic matter—the large persimmons cultivated here are excellent in shape, color, and taste. They are bright red in color, mostly seedless or with very small seeds. The flesh is dense, can be peeled without tearing, and has a sweet, soft, and smooth flavor. In addition to being eaten fresh, persimmons can also be made into dried persimmons, persimmon chips, persimmon cakes, and persimmon jam. The white powdery coating on the outer layer of the fruit is called persimmon frost, which can be refined into mannitol. Both persimmon calyxes and dried persimmons have medicinal uses. Persimmon calyxes, which are warm in nature and have a bitter and astringent taste, can help reduce Qi and relieve vomiting. Charred persimmon calyxes can help treat bloody stools. Unripe persimmons can be used to make persimmon lacquer, an effective antiseptic and astringent agent, suitable for net dyeing and decorative coatings.