Diospyros kaki

Kaki

The Kaki ( Japanese:柿, kaki ) is the sweet, orange, outwardly resembling a large tomato fruit of Kakibaums ( Diospyros kaki ). The genus name Diospyros means " fruit of the gods " or " food of the gods ". Originally coming from Asia genus Diospyros or ebony trees, also called persimmons, belongs to the ebony family ( Ebenaceae ).

Cultivated forms or varieties of persimmons are honey apple, persimmon or sharon fruit, the latter contains very little tannin and therefore can be eaten as a fruit of hard already.

The used for over 2000 years in China Kaki is one of the oldest cultivated plants.

Description

The Kakibaum reached a size of up to ten meters with a shape resembling the apple tree. Its leaves are medium to dark green, lance-shaped and as wide as long. It blooms from late spring to early summer. The staminate ( male ) and carpellaten ( female ) flowers are spatially separated. Both monoecious and dioecious plant individuals occur. The carpellaten flowers are yellowish- white, leaf axils and cruciform. The grouped into two or three staminate flowers contain 16 or 24 stamens. It is noteworthy that the only persimmons are ripe when the leaves have fallen, for the most part in the late autumn.

Flower

Refined, varietal real Kakibäume already carry from 2 to 3 years after grafting. The numbers that appear in early summer from 2 to 2.5 cm wide, yellow flowers have four crown-shaped sepals. Once these open, they give a clear view of four petals that resemble a porcelain- colored crown. There arise both parthenocarpic seedless ie without pollination and pollinated, interspersed with seeds fruits that are slightly larger.

Fruit

The spherical persimmons, persimmon or oval tomatoes like flat Sharon carries the indented peduncle four sepals and weighs up to 500 grams. The smooth, shiny and thin shell shows shades of yellow ( Sharon and persimmon ) to red orange (kaki ). The somewhat lighter pulp may contain up to eight seeds and has, except for Sharon, astringent when consumed. With increasing maturity it is a kiwi comparable softer.

The high tannin content of the immature persimmon makes the of pear and apricot and apricot flavor reminiscent of a bitter component that is weaker with progressive maturation. The effects caused by the tannins furry flavor is lost on the one during the ripening process, and by frost. The very high proportion of provitamin A makes them nutritionally particularly valuable.

Cultivation

Kaki be grown in ten countries worldwide, with 90 percent of its production to China, Japan and Korea accounts. In East Asia is the main harvest season in the months of October and November, when the trees have lost their leaves. The Sharon, however, is an Israel that were found, altered form, which is now also grown in South America, Spain, and Italy.

In China, the Kakibaum is cultivated since time immemorial. Are attributed to him four virtues: it is durable, shade -giving, is used by the birds as a nesting site and not attacked by pests. A decorated with a vase, a pine branch and an orange Kakikuchen is a symbol of desire " Great luck in 100 affairs."

In the whole of Asia the Kakifrucht be awarded various healing powers. So it should be stomachic and help against diarrhea. Immaturity, nachreifende in containers fruit are antipyretic, they should be sweet as honey. The juice of unripe persimmons had lower blood pressure, the stalk cough soothing. To make these effects, it is peeled, daytime sunlight, at night exposed to the Taufall on that fancy a white powder layer.

The Sharon or Sharon is a cultivated form of persimmons from Israel, named after the fertile Plain of Sharon. It does not contain nuclei and tastes in the immature state of mild because it contains significantly less tannic. Edible even in hard condition, it is more interesting to trade than the classic persimmon, which is to store very soft, so hard and just a few days in edible condition. Cut cross shows the Sharon a star-shaped pattern of lines darker flesh.

Consumption

The bowl of persimmons, in the mature fruit, the tannins are almost completely decomposed, are eaten, often they will be removed or equal spooned a kiwi from the shell. The little tannin -containing Sharon may already be eaten in hard condition with shell whose flesh is always sweet and reminiscent of melon and peach. They can be recognized, in contrast to the more reddish Kaki, at the yellow- orange color and tomatoes or tangerines reminiscent flat shape, whereas persimmon rather round, persimmons are oval. Any brown spots in the flesh come from the high sugar content and are not a sign of rotting.