Fruit is something that I have taken for granted…
As a southern Ontario consumer I can walk down the street to a store like Sobeys or Loblaws and purchase all of the groceries that I need in one place. This includes a variety of cosmetically beautiful fruit that is available on their shelves year round (thanks, globalization). Our ancestors did not have this same luxury and ate only what was available to them seasonally; fruit was a rare treat to be savoured, even preserved for the long winter months. Yet at present time many of us will settle for these flavourless and often expensive imported strawberries and peaches, even in January.
I had the opportunity in school to watch the first part of an episode of David Suzuki’s Nature of Things named “Fruit Hunters”. This focused on the concept of “permanent global summertime” in our super markets, and profiled individual fruit hunters. These are people who go far beyond the walls of the supermarket, traversing the globe to find, preserve, and cultivate unique species of fruit. If you have time, check it out here.
After watching this, I was inspired to go on my own fruit hunting mission and seek out a type of fruit I had not yet tried. It’s unknown how many species of fruit there are in the world – there are over 7500 varieties of apples alone – so surely I would be able to find something new. Due to my student budget, I stuck to exploring a place that was much more local than the rainforests of Brazil. I decided to visit Kensington Market, which is a short trip South of Spadina station on the streetcar.
Kensington Market is an eclectic, magical place that holds a small piece of my heart; it was one of the first places I visited in the city when I moved here during my first round of College back in 2004. I remember being in awe of the racks of vintage clothing, the musicians that communed in the middle of the sidewalk, and the sight of so many different delicacies in open containers on the street. It has an abundance of specialty stores for any and all items on your grocery list (fruits, spices, herbs, cheese, and meat).
Any description I’ve read of the market does not do it justice; it is one of those places that you need to experience for yourself if you have the opportunity.
Above are some of the unique fruits and sights that I encountered as I crawled the market and walked through Chinatown on my way home. (Click to enlarge).
A tip for fruit hunting in Kensington? Bring cash. Very few places took debit or credit cards.
I ended up at Sun Wah Fruit Market, located at 229 Augusta Avenue (near the corner of Nassau Street). I was combing through their fruit selection when a basket of fuyu persimmons caught my eye. They looked like orange, flat tomatoes with large leaves. Persimmons weren’t completely unfamiliar (I had never tasted, or cooked with one) but unfamiliar enough that I scooped up a bag of them to eat. I chose persimmons that were firm and smooth with little bruising for $2.49 per pound.
Fuyu persimmon’s botanical name, Diospyros, translates to “divine fruit”. [1] While they are grown around the world, persimmons are predominant in Asian countries. They are native to China and were brought to North America (specifically, California) in the 1800’s. There are currently over 2000 cultivars (varieties) and are in season from October to February. [2]
Persimmons are categorized as either being astringent – which taste bitter until ripened due to tannins or non-astringent – which do not contain tannins and taste sweet even if they are not fully ripe. Astringent varities are typically sweeter when ripe, yielding lots of juice, while non-astringent varieties are tougher and have a muted sweetness. [3]
Fuyu persimmons are the leading non-astringent variety. They’re ripe when the skin is a uniform orange colour, and the fruit is firm. They are very versatile and can be incorporated into both savoury and sweet dishes. You can choose to leave them raw (preserves, salsa) or cook them (pies, crisps, muffins).
Since I was new to eating this fruit, I decided to make my recipe as simple as possible to keep a natural flavour profile. I threw together a simple roasted persimmon recipe. Before I cooked them I tried a raw piece. It had a slightly sweet flavour that reminded me of an apricot, or a cantaloupe. The texture was firm, but not crunchy.
Cardamom and Cinnamon Roasted Persimmons
Ingredients:
2 fuyu persimmons
1 tsp of honey
2 tsp of fresh orange juice
1 small splash of vanilla extract
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cardamom
Pinch of salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Wash and dry persimmons; cut off leafy top
3. Slice into quarters removing the bitter white core and skin with a paring knife
4. Medium dice persimmons
5. Mix honey, vanilla, and orange juice; drizzle over persimmons and toss until coated
6. Spread out evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silpat
7. Sprinkle with cinnamon, cardamom, and a pinch of salt
8. Roast for 20 minutes, or until carmelized; stirring gently at the 10 minute mark
Roasting the persimmons in the oven gave them a tender, warmly sweet flavour and a carmelized appearance. You could easily use these as a topping for ice cream, or on a bowl of oatmeal as I’ve done here.
With this fruit hunting adventure behind me, I have been thinking more about the importance of mindful, seasonal eating as a chef and consumer. I learned that it is really fun to explore beyond the confines of brand name grocery stores to try new things, even if it’s not always convenient. After all, every fruit we love was unknown to us at one point in our lives. One of those strange looking, unfamiliar fruits in a market just might be your next favourite.
Until next time,
Bronwyn
References:
1. Specialty Produce, Fuyu Persimmons (unknown) Retrieved October 23, 2016, from http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Fuyu_Persimmons_9071.php
2. California Rare Fruit Growers Inc., Persimmon Fruit Facts (1996) Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.crfg.org/pubs/ff/persimmon.html
3. Just Fruits and Exotics, Persimmon Trees. (unknown) Retrieved October 23, 2016, from http://www.justfruitsandexotics.com/JFE/product-category/fruit-trees/persimmon/
Kinship Kitchen 
This is a great post! Who knew that permissions translated to divine fruit? Thanks for the informative info!
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Thanks for stopping by, Dan! Glad you enjoyed the post.
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