Persimmon varieties with names, photos and descriptions
Main characteristics of persimmon
This amazing fruit came from China, translated from Greek means “food of the gods” or “divine fire”. From the Caucasian persimmon came another meaning – “date plum”, because the dried fruit tastes like a date.
The tree or bush lives about 50-60 years, bears orange juicy fruits – berries, which have from 1 to 10 seeds or none at all. The leaves grow alternately and have a simple shape.
Due to its extraordinary taste, persimmon is widespread almost throughout Europe and Asia, America and Australia. Entire fruit farms are created, supplying these fruits, which have completely different taste qualities and differ in appearance.
Persimmon fruits vary from bright carrot shade to rich orange and chocolate. Viscosity disappears at the end of ripening. To remove viscosity from the fruit, persimmon is placed in a cold place or left to ripen in a warm place. Then the persimmon will have the desired jelly-like consistency.
There are about 720 species of this tree. Korolki is not a separate fruit, but a variety of persimmon. It has a divine sweet taste. Very popular.
The tree is grown in countries with a warm climate. Along with traditional varieties, there are also exotic hybrid varieties. Let’s look at the most famous ones.
Classification of the main types of persimmon
There is a classification according to various characteristics and features of this fruit:
The method of pollination divides all varieties into several subgroups:
Self-pollinating.
Partially fertile.
Self-sterile (cannot set fruit on their own without pollination).
By taste:
Tart (the property disappears only when the fruit is fully ripe).
The persimmon is sweet and dense in structure.
The third variety is the kinglet, whose taste and astringency depend directly on the pollination process.
Classification by fruit ripening time:
Early (ready for consumption in September).
Mid-season (mid-October).
Late (late October to mid or late November).
Division by the area from which the species and varieties originated:
Eastern (or Japanese), its homeland is Asia. The trees are small, but the fruit itself is quite large – up to 500 grams.
Caucasian (common) has very small berries with a tart taste, about 2-3 cm in diameter, native to the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Virginian (American) is distinguished by juicy, medium-sized fruits up to 6-7 cm in diameter. The trees are medium in size and are resistant to cold.
This classification will help to most accurately determine the type and variety of fruit, and therefore the degree of its ripeness and taste.
Popular varieties of persimmon
Let’s look at the types that we can freely purchase in the store and are the most famous in terms of taste.
Chocolate Kinglet
Also called “chocolate persimmon”, “chocolate pudding” and Hyakume. Now grows in the southern regions of Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus, Central Asia and South Africa.
Brief description of the variety:
The tree belongs to the ebony genus.
It has one feature that distinguishes it from all other types of persimmon. If the kinglet has passed the pollination stage, the fruits will have seeds and be dark orange in color, with a rich and sweet taste, and if pollination has not occurred, the color will be light with a reddish tint, and the pulp will be viscous in taste.
The fruit has an orange skin and dark chocolate pulp. The riper the fruit, the darker its contents. A big plus is that it never “astrings”. And if not quite ripe, then it is simply firmer in structure and not so sweet. The mass of one fruit reaches the size of a large apple.
The tree begins to bloom in May. In early July, the ovary is formed and the fruits ripen, gaining juiciness until October. That is when the harvest time comes. The pulp should already be dark chocolate and creamy. The shape of the kinglet is round or slightly flattened and heart-shaped. This indicates full maturity.
This variety is low in calories (only 53 kcal per 100 g) and is ideal for those with a sweet tooth and those on a diet. Korolek contains a lot of useful substances: vitamin A and C, potassium, magnesium, iron, pectin, phosphorus and calcium.
Kinglet Honey Early
It bears fruit earlier than the chocolate kinglet. It does not have such dark flesh, on the contrary, it is light in color. It is also a very sweet and tasty fruit.
The pulp is tender and softer in consistency. It is not for nothing that this variety is called honey, because the taste is really so unusual and with notes of honey. The variety is considered early.
Large persimmon of the king type
The variety is similar to the chocolate kinglet, only its pulp is not brown-chocolate, but red-orange. The fruits are larger than those of other species of this variety. It has a slightly nutty taste. An unusually original and healthy fruit and divinely delicious.
When the fruit is not quite ripe, it is slightly astringent. This defect completely disappears when the persimmon is fully ripe.
Fig persimmon
One of the most famous varieties. The name is given based on the similarity with the oriental fruit – fig.
Description and characteristics of this variety:
The earliest variety. Also called Chamomile or Fuyu unpollinated seedless. Appears on sale already at the beginning of winter.
When the berry is fully ripe, it has a brownish tint and may contain seeds. If the fruit is unpollinated, it is much lighter and seedless. The pulp resembles marmalade.
The fruit is flat. Not too sweet and often sticky. The skin is thin and tends to crack.
It is believed that the fruit with the seed is much tastier, but this also depends on the place of growth.
The first fig persimmon appears only in the third year and can bear fruit for up to 60 years.
It can easily withstand both hot climates and frosts down to -20 degrees.
This fruit contains much less sugar and is very low in calories.
Also, fig persimmon is rich in fats, proteins and carbohydrates, tannin, vitamin A, PP, beta carotene, minerals and organic acids.
Persimmon Chocolate (Zenji-maru)
It is an excellent pollinator. This variety is grafted on the Virgin persimmon. Very sweet beautiful fruit.
The tree is medium-sized. This variety produces both female and male flowers.
The fruit is round, sometimes slightly oblong. The fruits are small in size. Weight is approximately 100 g.
The fruit is dark brown in color in the middle. It tastes juicy and quite sweet. The structure is dense.
Pollination is not necessary, as it forms many male inflorescences each year.
The fruit ripens in mid-autumn.
It can withstand frosts down to -20 and can be planted in unheated greenhouses or on the southern side of the plot, but must be covered for the winter.
Persimmon Sharon
It is a hybrid of oriental persimmon and apple. Its homeland is considered to be Israel and its Sargon Valley or Sharon Valley. The taste of this fruit is very unusual – it combines notes of apricot, quince, apple and a little honey taste.
Description of the variety:
The distinctive feature of these fruits is the absolute absence of viscosity, because the tannin that contributes to the formation of astringency has been removed through the use of chemical ripening.
This fruit has no seeds either. This is the main difference from the eastern persimmon.
Sharon is light orange in color with thin, shiny skin.
The pulp is dense, its structure resembles a soft apple. It can be bitten off or cut into slices.
It has a taste filled with different fruity notes.
It ripens by mid-autumn. It is interesting that the sweetness of the fruit directly depends on the length of time it is kept in the cold.
This variety is rich in beta carotene and contains valuable dietary fiber, magnesium, iron and vitamins A, B, and C. One of the few persimmon varieties that can withstand transportation well, so it is supplied to many countries.
Persimmon tomato
Sometimes called Bull’s Heart because it resembles tomatoes of this variety in shape.
Brief description of the variety:
This fruit has no seeds.
This variety is distinguished by its rich orange color.
When the berries ripen, they become even sweeter and juicier, but the color remains the same.
Viscosity occurs only in unripe fruits, which are picked prematurely so as not to be damaged during transportation.
The fruit weighs up to 0.5 kg and its diameter is more than 8 cm.
The fruit is grown only in the southern regions, and tomato persimmon ripens later than all other varieties, so we enjoy it last.
Here is the shortest list of the main varieties, but we hope it will help you understand the diversity a little and choose the juiciest and most delicious fruits. In winter, this is not only a divine delicacy, but also an invaluable source of the most important vitamins and elements for maintaining the body.
