Small Persimmons of Yantou in Lanping

Small Persimmons of Yantou in Lanping

　　The small persimmons of Yantou in Lanping are a specialty from the Yantou area of Yingpan Town, Lanping County, Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province. These small persimmons are only about the size of an ordinary fruit candy, seedless and coreless, yet their flesh is delicate and their taste is sweet and delicious, earning them the nickname "sugar cane," and because they carry a special fragrance, some people call them "little cloves." The small persimmons of Yantou are rich in sugar and nutrients. When people are hungry, just eating a few of these persimmons along with a glass of water can serve as a meal and instantly boost one’s energy.

　　In the Yantou Administrative Office of Yingpan Town, Lanping County, there is a kind of small persimmon that is only about the size of an ordinary fruit candy, seedless and coreless, yet its flesh is delicate and its taste is sweet and delicious. It is nicknamed "sugar cane," and because it carries a special fragrance, some people call it "little clove."

　　The small persimmons of Yantou are rich in sugar and nutrients. When people are hungry, just eating a few of these persimmons along with a glass of water can serve as a meal and instantly boost one’s energy.

　　The small persimmon trees bloom in spring, bear fruit in summer, and ripen in autumn. At first, they are green, like strings of crystal-clear jade; then they gradually turn yellow, resembling little golden beans; and finally, they are dyed black by the frost. When winter comes, the leaves on the persimmon trees have all fallen, leaving only the dark fruits clustered thickly on the branches, weighing them down. These ripe persimmons won’t fall even when battered by wind and snow, waiting for people to harvest the year’s bounty using long bamboo poles as sickles.

　　Because of the deliciousness of the small persimmons, flocks of mountain birds such as tits, hill mynas, and magpies come to peck at them, while animals like pocket gophers and civets also sneak up to steal the fruit under the cover of night. The Lisu people use various methods to catch these birds and beasts. Especially at night, when ambushers suddenly shine flashlights, the civets caught in the bright light often don’t have time to react before falling into the hunters’ hands.

　　The dried small persimmons can be stored for a long time and are often used by the Lisu people to entertain visiting guests.