41
FOOD
making carbs count
Persimmon
According to Wikipedia, "Like the
tomato, persimmons are not berries
in the general culinary sense, but its
morphology as a single fruit derived
from the ovary of a single flower
means it is a berry in the botanical
sense. Persimmon fruit matures late
in the fall and can stay on the tree
until winter"
BBC Good Food says, "This
thin-skinned, golden fruit requires
thought and time to enjoy at its
best. When ripe and firm the flesh of
traditional varieties is very astringent
and unpleasant. However, once
fully ripened, when it softens to a
satiny jelly, the flesh is wonderfully
textured and both taste and scent
are delightfully rich and aromatic
without being overpowering.
"Persimmons seen most often in
the UK are also known as 'kaki' and
Nutrition
Per average 170g persimmon
fruit:
Energy 120 cals;
Carbohydrates 32g;
Dietry Fibre 6g;
Protein 1g;
0 fat;
6% of potassium RDA*;
2% iron.
Nutrition
Based on 100g raw quince. You
can eat quince raw, but they have
a tough skin and taste bitter:
Energy 60 cals;
Carbohydrates 15g;
Dietry Fibre 2g;
25% RDA vitamin C.
Next issue:
Part 2, the soft ones:
damsons, greengages
and mulberries.
are East Asian in origin. Increasingly
available and popular, in some recent
years they have out-sold mangoes
in the UK market. A newer variety,
usually sold as Sharon-fruit, can be
enjoyed when firm and a little crisp
- but it's not the same experience as
offered by the traditional fruit."
These can be eaten like an
apple, or sliced and used in salads
or desserts, or used for chutney,
persimmon bread or add to a
fruit crumble.
Quince
According to the website for Wytham
Woods, part of the University
of Oxford, "This orchard tree is
native to the Caucasus Mountains
stretching from Turkestan to Iran
and is from the rose family, same as
apples and pears. The tree was first
recorded in Britain in 1275 when four
were planted at the Tower of London
by Edward I.
"It gained favour owing to its
hardiness and ease of cultivation, and
a hundred years ago there would be
a quince in almost every orchard. It
requires a period with temperatures
under 7 degrees C in order for the
pale pink flowers to properly bloom
in May. The hard fruit is ready to pick
in October. These are cooked and
extensively used in pies, jams and a
harder jelly called 'cheese'.
"In Jewish mythology, it was the
original apple of Eden, the serpent
tempting Eve with the fruit. Quince
fruit has also been linked with
Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of
love, and in 594BC Solon, the chief
magistrate in Athens, declared it an
officially wedding food. In Edward
Lear's 1871 poem 'The Owl and the
Pussycat', they 'dined on mince and
slices of quince', the author following
this age-old tradition."
NOTE: We included persimmon in an
earlier article on exotic fruits in this
column in February 2024.
*RDA = recommended daily amount