Good Real Food

Persimmons (shown in the photos below are the japanese kaki) are one of the most beautiful and succulent fruit I’ve ever had.

Picking fruit is actually a skill and so be careful of how you select your first kaki. The key to a great kaki is an even bright color and that the pulp is at a deep transluscent ripeness that when you press it gently it gives. You can wait a while before eating it, even if it’s already ripe. The longer you wait, the sweeter it will taste. When you are ready to eat it, it is extremely juicy and almost melts in your hands while peeling it.

I also learned from my chinese medicine nutrition book (Healing with Whole Foods, by Paul Pitchford) that it’s good to eat when it’s dry out as it moistens the lungs and resolves phlegm. Pitchford says, “When a person has a dry condition, it usually is related to the lungs, and could have been caused by imbalances in diet, excessive activity, adverse climate, and/or organ malfunction. The major symptoms of dryness in the body are thirst, dryness of sky, nose, lips, and throat, and itchiness.”

The loveliest part of it is it’s swollen seed, almost like a sac. I have to say, it’s a very sensual experience.