The Complete Handbook of Persimmons

Chapter 1: Understanding Persimmons

The persimmon that reaches a commercial market is a specific thing: the fruit of certain trees in the genus Diospyros, most significantly Diospyros kaki, the Japanese or Oriental persimmon. This chapter explains what that means in practical terms. It separates the biology that affects handling from the market context that affects price, and it gives you the mental framework you need to buy, sell, or grow the fruit without the guesswork.

What a Persimmon Is, Botanically and Practically

There are nearly 500 species in the genus Diospyros, but commercially, you will encounter three. The first is Diospyros kaki, known variously as the Japanese, Korean, or Oriental persimmon, which is the dominant commercial species worldwide and accounts for the vast majority of fresh consumption. The second is Diospyros virginiana, the American persimmon, which is small, native to the eastern United States, and rarely traded commercially outside its local production regions. The third is Diospyros lotus, the date plum, which is primarily used as a rootstock for grafting D. kaki scions rather than for its own fruit. For all practical purposes, when you read about the commercial persimmon market, you are reading about D. kaki.

The fruit itself is a large berry, botanically speaking. It grows from a four- to eight-lobed green calyx that remains attached to the fruit after harvest. The skin is thin and waxy, and between the skin and the flesh there is no distinct layer of separation;