Fresh kaki persimmons
“Kaki ga akaku naru to isha ga aoku naru” (as persimmons turn to orange, doctors turn green) is a Japanese saying similar to the American “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This adage attests to the powerhouse of nutrients found in ripe persimmon fruit: all kinds of phytonutrients, flavonoids, and antioxidants, such as catechins (known to have antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties). Other powerful antioxidants found in persimmons include beta-carotene, lycopene, and lutein. The fruit is also mineral rich: potassium, manganese, copper and phosphorus.
柿釜の白和え
Kaki Kama no Shira Aé
Ripe whole persimmons are scooped out and stuffed with a chunks of the persimmon fruit and briefly blanched chrysanthemum greens tossed in a creamy tōfu sauce called shira aé. The Japanese like to combine (naturally) sweet fruit with bitter greens — tossing the mixture in creamy tōfu binds the pieces together and mellows the disparate flavors.
DOWNLOAD recipe for SHIRA AE in Persimmon Shell
