The persimmon is the fruit of the persimmon tree, which originated in Asia, more specifically in eastern China. Cultivated in Japan for over a thousand years, it has become the national fruit: there are no fewer than 800 varieties.
It was only in the 19th century that its cultivation arrived in Europe. Planted in Toulon by a shipbuilding engineer, the persimmon quickly became a huge success in Provence. The Cannet and Marseille varieties were the most famous.
Even today, the Midi remains the region of choice for this fruit with its smooth, thin skin and bright orange flesh, which resembles a large tomato. In autumn, even after the leaves have fallen off, the trees (which grow to between 5 and 10 metres tall) continue to bear this ripe fruit. There, they are harvested and brighten up the stalls of markets and supermarkets, alongside coconuts, guavas and other exotic fruits.
There are more than 2,000 varieties worldwide of the persimmon, also known as plaquemine or figue caque, the most common of which are on our shelves:
the European persimmon: round, smooth and orange, it should be eaten very ripe, otherwise its skin becomes very astringent. Produced in Italy, the Middle East, the United States and, of course, Provence, they are harvested between October and January.