Scientific classification
- Scientific Name: Diospyros kaki Thunb.
- English Name: Oriental Persimmon,Chinese Persimmon,Japanese Persimmon, kaki Persimmon,Diospyros Kaki,
- Family: Ebenaceae
- Genus: Diospyros
- Type: Deciduous Trees
- Country Of Origin: China
Similar in shape to an apple tree, the kaki tree reaches a size of up to 10 metres. Its deciduous leaves are medium to dark green, broadly lanceolate, stiff and equally wide as long. Blooming from May to June, the trees are typically either male or female, but some produce both types of flowers. Furthermore, the sexual expression of a tree may vary from year to year. Unusually, the kaki fruits ripen when the leaves have mostly fallen off the tree, typically in October and November.
Persimmons are eaten fresh, dried, raw or cooked. When eaten fresh, they are usually eaten whole like an apple in bite-size slices and may be peeled - although the skin is edible. One way to consume ripe persimmons, which may have soft texture, is to remove the top leaf with a paring knife and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Riper persimmons can also be eaten by removing the top leaf, breaking the fruit in half, and eating from the inside out. The flesh ranges from firm to mushy, and, when firm owing to being unripe, has an apple-like crunch. American persimmons (Diospyros virginiana) and Diospyros digyna are completely inedible until they are fully ripe.
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