[Wakayama Guide] When you think of autumn in Kansai, you think of Wakayama persimmons!

• Table of Contents
• The secret to growing delicious persimmons
• Wakayama's representative persimmon
• What is a "delicious persimmon" that you can tell at a glance?
• "When persimmons turn red, doctors turn green"! This is a natural health food

The secret to growing delicious persimmons

When speaking of delicious autumn fruits in Japan, persimmons come to mind. Wakayama is especially famous for persimmons. Why are Wakayama's persimmons so delicious? One of the reasons is the soil and climate .

In particular, the Ito region of Wakayama Prefecture has the following conditions, which allow the fruit to grow large and sweet.

Wakayama's representative persimmon

This time we will introduce three types of persimmons.

① Seedless persimmon

It is characterized by its Toyotomi juice content, moderately soft and smooth texture, strong sweetness and mellow flavor , and the fact that it is seedless .

For eating them raw, the astringency is removed after harvest using carbon dioxide etc. Processed foods made from astringent persimmons include dried persimmons, dried dried persimmons, dried persimmons, and persimmon vinegar.

Kinokawa persimmon

Kinokawa persimmons, grown in Kinokawa City , Wakayama Prefecture , are characterized by their firm texture and the sweetness of fully ripe persimmons . They are rare because they require more labor-intensive production methods than regular persimmons, and are considered a luxury item even among Japanese people.

Generally, astringent persimmons are removed after harvest, but Kinokawa persimmons are removed by covering each fruit individually with a bag containing solid alcohol while they are still on the tree before harvest. The fruit is then left to ripen fully before being harvested, resulting in a high sugar content and distinctive black spots on the flesh . Because bagging is time-consuming, production is low, making this a rare variety (shipping period: early to mid-November).

③Fuyu persimmon

This is the most popular and representative variety of sweet persimmon.

It is characterized by its high juice content, strong sweetness, and crunchy texture . The fruit is large, plump, and round, has a long shelf life, and has an orange-yellow skin (shipping period: early November to early December).

What is a "delicious persimmon" that you can tell at a glance?

It is said that delicious persimmons have firm skin, good color, and are large .

Another thing to pay attention to is the stem. If the stem is broken or removed, growth will be inhibited, so it is best to choose one with a large stem and no gaps between it and the fruit .

"When persimmons turn red, doctors turn green"! This is a natural health food

Persimmons are very Toyotomi in nutrients.

One persimmon provides almost the daily required amount of vitamin C, and tannin, a type of polyphenol, is said to have strong antioxidant properties.It is also expected to have the effect of expelling substances that cause hangovers, so eating one before drinking alcohol is said to prevent a hangover.

Why not take this opportunity to try some Wakayama persimmons?

Photo courtesy of Wakayama Prefecture Tourism Federation