Persimmons

It is called a Japanese fruit in Pakistan or I have heard people calling it 'amlok' or 'chinee timatar' (Chinese tomato) - anyhow, the one I had in Pakistan has a strong flavour and therefore, I never tried to taste it for the first 4 years of my stay in Korea, until a friends' mother pushed me to eat it and to my surprise - it was extremely tasty and had a very different taste than what I previously had experienced. My favourite is the one in pale/orange shade - not too ripe. Since then it is one of my favourite fruits.

Here they are sold in all forms and shapes such as frozen, dried, fresh, very soft or hard.....and the list goes on. One kilo of persimmon may be sold for about 100$ which is too costly.

Ripe persimmons are also the indicator of autumn in Korea...it seems as if the bulbs are hanging with the trees. China, Korea, Japan and Brazil are the top four producers of persimmons.

They have low calories (provides 70 cal/100g) and fats but are a rich source of dietary fiber.
Persimmons contain many health benefits and are rich in flavonoids, poly-phenolic anti-oxidants as well as important anti-tumor compound betulinic acid. Catechins are known to have anti-infective, anti-inflammatory and anti-hemorrhagic (prevents bleeding from small blood vessels) properties.

Fresh permissions contain anti-oxidant compounds like vitamin-A, beta carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxanthin and cryptoxanthin. These compounds functions as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes. It also helps prevent "Age related macular disease"(ARMD) in the elderly.

They are also a very good source of vitamin-C, another powerful antioxidant. Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps body develop resistance against infectious agents and pro-inflammatory free radicals. It is good in many valuable B-complex vitamins such as folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), thiamin...etc. These vitamins acts as co-factors for numerous metabolic enzymatic functions in the body.

Fresh Persimmon fruits also contain healthy amounts of minerals like potassium, manganese (15% of DRI), copper (12% of DRI) and phosphorus. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide. Copper is also required for the production of red blood cells. Hence this fruit is a powerhouse of rich vitamins and antioxidents.