Kaki: This exotic fruit is so healthy

Persimmons are orange fruits, about the size of a tomato, that originally come from Asia. In Germany they are mainly in season in winter – they are usually available from October to December. Persimmons are perfect as a healthy snack in winter. They contain many valuable ingredients – they are particularly recommended because of their high vitamin A content. Read more about the healthy effects and calorie content of the exotic fruit here and learn how to eat persimmons properly.

Persimmon: Healthy ingredients

Ripe persimmons  taste  wonderfully sweet and are reminiscent of a mixture of apricots and tomatoes. Unripe fruits, on the other hand, are rather tart. This is due to the fact that they contain a relatively large amount  of tannins  – tannins, to be precise. Tannins can cause a dry mouth feel in unripe fruit. In addition, tannins can impede the absorption of some  minerals  in the body, which is why consumption should be limited in the case of iron deficiency, for example. On the other hand, some tannins are said to have anti-cancer and antimicrobial effects.

In addition to tannins, there are many other ingredients in the exotic fruit. Persimmons contain many vitamins and are therefore considered to be particularly healthy. With 16 milligrams per 100 grams, they contain less vitamin C than other fruits  , but they are a  good   source of vitamin A :  100 grams contain around 270 micrograms of provitamin A. Vitamin A is primarily for our eyes, but also for our healthy skin and mucous membrane cells are important.

Persimmons can also score with a fairly high proportion of vitamins E and K. Vitamin E  has a cell-protecting effect similar to vitamin C and supports the  immune system . Vitamin K is central to blood clotting and plays an important role in bone and connective tissue metabolism. Both vitamins are fat-soluble. In combination with some fat, for example quark or  yoghurt , the vitamins from the persimmon can be absorbed even better by the body.

Persimmon: Calories & Nutritional Values

Persimmons contain relatively few calories. 100 grams have 71 calories or 297 kilojoules, a whole fruit has about 107 calories (448 kilojoules).

Compared to some other types of fruit, however, persimmons are somewhat higher in calories. Other  types of winter fruit contain  slightly fewer calories per 100 grams, for example:

• Kiwis (50 kcal)
• Orangen (47 kcal)
• Tangerines (50 kcal)
• Pomelos (25 bis 50 kcal)

Persimmons are about 80 percent water. In addition to water, they also contain a relatively large amount  of carbohydrates at 16 grams . In addition, the sugar content of kakis should not be underestimated at 15 percent. This  relatively high sugar and carbohydrate content  for fruit also explains the slightly higher calorie content.

However, the high sugar content offers an advantage for people with  fructose intolerance : since the ratio of glucose to fructose in kakis is 0.9, the kaki is quite well tolerated by those affected.

Persimmons also contain around two to three percent  fiber ,  which ensures that eating the sweet fruit also has a positive effect on digestion.

health effect

In Asia – the home of persimmons – the fruit is said to have a wide variety of healing powers:

• For example, it should   help to relieve the symptoms of diarrhea .
• In addition, the  juice  of unripe fruit is said to have a positive effect on blood pressure.
• The fruit stalk, on the other hand, is said to   relieve coughs .
• Persimmons are said to have an expectorant effect.

So far, however, these effects have not been scientifically proven.

What is certain, however, is that the vitamin C and vitamin E contained in kaki are good for the immune system and that our eyes benefit from the high vitamin A content.

Persimmons are also  particularly recommended for athletes,  as they contain a lot of sugar. In this way, empty glucose stores can be quickly replenished after training.

Varieties: Sharon fruit and Persimmon

Sharon fruit and persimmon are cultivated forms of kaki and are therefore closely related to the fruit. It is not easy to tell the three fruits apart, but if you look closely, differences in  shape  become clear: while the persimmon has a round shape, the persimmon is more oval and the sharon fruit is a little flatter. In addition, sharon fruit and persimmon have a yellowish  color,  while persimmons are orange.

The fruits also differ in their origin. While most kakis come from China, Japan and Korea, Sharons are primarily grown in Israel, Italy, Spain and South America. Sharon fruits are particularly attractive for retailers because they contain significantly less tannin than persimmons. As a result, they taste milder and can be eaten while they are still hard. In terms of taste, the Sharon is reminiscent of a mixture of  honeydew melon  and peach.

Buy and store persimmons

When buying a persimmon, you should make sure that it is neither too soft nor too hard. Soft fruits tend to bruise quickly, while hard persimmons cannot be eaten immediately. Because of the many tannins, they taste very tart and lead to a furry coating on the  tongue .

That’s why it’s best to let hard persimmons ripen for a few days. Similar to kiwis, the fruit softens over time. It is best to store the persimmons at room temperature. If the persimmons are already ripe, they can be kept in the refrigerator for a maximum of two days. In general, you should store the fruit in such a way that no bruising can occur.

Eating persimmons properly – with or without the skin?

Before eating, you should first remove the leaves. When the fruit is ripe, the skin can be eaten, but the taste is not for everyone. If this is the case, you can easily remove the peel as you would an apple and then cut the fruit into wedges. Alternatively, you can also spoon out the kaki like a kiwi. This is explicitly recommended for the “Kaki Tipo” variety from Italy. This is spherical and orange-red in color. However, the “Rojo Brillante” variety is much more common in supermarkets.

Consider maturity level

Not only the peel can be eaten with ripe fruits. Another advantage: the riper the fruit, the lower its tannin content. Tannins have an astringent, i.e. astringent, effect. In the mouth, tannins affect certain  proteins  , reducing the oily and lubricating effects of saliva. For example, unripe persimmons produce a dry feeling and a furry taste in the mouth.

Persimmon Recipes

Due to their high sugar content, persimmons are increasingly found in sweet dishes such as fruit salad, jam or cakes. But hearty dishes with kaki are also possible. Two healthy persimmon recipes are below.

Overnight-Oats mit Kaki

The following ingredients are required for the overnight oats:

• 4 tablespoons oatmeal
• 100 ml coconut milk
• 150 g natural yoghurt
• 1 foot
• 1 tsp coconut flakes

Mix the coconut milk with the oatmeal and pour the mixture into a screw-top jar or cereal bowl. Then you can dice the persimmons and mix them with the natural yoghurt. Add this mixture to the bowl as well. Finally, sprinkle the coconut flakes on top. The overnight oats soak in the fridge overnight.

Cauliflower salad with persimmons

You need the following ingredients for the healthy cauliflower salad with persimmon:

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 2 spring onions
• 1 Spitzpaprika
• 1 Mini-Romansalat
• 1 foot
• lemon juice and orange juice
• olive oil

Wash the cauliflower and cut into small florets. You can then either blanch them in boiling salted water for a minute or place them raw in a bowl. Cut the spring onions into rings and dice the pointed peppers and persimmons. The romaine lettuce is cut into thin strips. Puree four persimmon slices with some orange and lemon juice.  Then season this sauce with olive oil,  salt and pepper and mix with the remaining ingredients and serve.