For Tokyoites, November is when autumn truly sets in. This is when we experience those hallmark clear blue skies, consistently comfortable temperatures and the appearance of my favorite seasonal produce ¡ª the persimmon.
First cultivated in China about 2,000 years ago, the persimmon is the edible fruit produced by a species of tree in the genus Diospyros, which roughly means ¡°divine fruit¡± in Greek. In Japan, kaki (persimmon) have long been cultivated, and they generally appear in two forms: ´Ú³Ü²â¨± and hachiya. Fuy¨± is the squat, sweet one, while hachiya are acorn-shaped, more astringent and usually dried before consumption. My first slice of ´Ú³Ü²â¨± reminded me of the center of a cantaloupe melon, but then it quickly turned toward the flavor profile of a pumpkin.
First sketches of this recipe suggested spices like star anise to really underline the pumpkin element, and I experimented with a flip-style cocktail for something like an eggnog, but didn¡¯t quite find anything uniquely satisfying (do look up Julia Momose¡¯s recipe for a Kaki Flip).
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.