Pingle Persimmons

Pingle Persimmons

　　Persimmons are one of the important fruit varieties in southern China. China has over two thousand years of history in persimmon cultivation, with major production areas including Guangxi, Hunan, Guangdong, and Fujian provinces. The persimmons produced in Guangxi, especially in Pingle County, Gongcheng County, and Yangshuo County, benefit from the excellent geographical environment, yielding high-quality fresh persimmons and dried persimmons that have long enjoyed a strong reputation both domestically and abroad.

　　Pingle County currently has over 6,000 hectares of persimmon cultivation area, with an annual production of more than 86,000 tons. It sells approximately 18,000 tons of fresh persimmons per year and processes over 67,000 tons of dried persimmons. August to September is the peak season for fresh persimmon sales, while October to December is the main period for processing and selling dried persimmons, during which some fresh persimmons are also sold.

　　Er’tang Town in Pingle County is the main hub for the sale and distribution of dried persimmons in the county. Every year from October to December is the peak season for processing and selling dried persimmons. During these months, from the evening until the next morning, the streets and roadsides are filled with persimmon products, attracting hundreds or even thousands of buyers from across the country. The products are exported to regions and countries such as Hong Kong, Macau, South Korea, Southeast Asia, and Europe & America. The locally registered brands “Gurong” and “Ben’s” dried persimmons are even directly exported to South Korea.

　　The persimmon tree is a treasure from root to fruit, with extremely high utilization value. Persimmon leaves can be eaten or used medicinally, offering antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, heat-clearing, and blood pressure-lowering benefits. Medically, they can treat conditions such as spleen-stomach qi stagnation, epigastric distension and pain, vomiting and nausea, indigestion, cough with excessive phlegm, and skin itching, and are commonly consumed as a daily tea. Persimmon calyxes can treat hiccups, while the fruits, when combined with other herbs, are used to treat tuberculosis. After debittering, the fresh fruits become crispy and sweet, suitable for consumption around the Mid-Autumn Festival on August 15th, and are also offered as offerings to the moon during the festival. Dried persimmons made from persimmon fruits are high in sugar content, delicious in taste, not only rich in nutrition but also possessing numerous health and medicinal benefits. Clinical trials have shown that infants eating them can treat diarrhea, while adults can strengthen their health and prevent illness. Currently, in Hong Kong, Macau, and some other regions, certain effective components extracted from dried persimmons are made into pills to treat hair loss and graying, and are also used for anti-aging purposes.