Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Weird Food Wednesdays: Fuyu Persimmon & U2!


Yes, this is indeed a slice of a ripe fuyu persimmon! Kudos to doggybloggy of ChezWhat? who guessed correctly within moments of me putting up the photo!

I hadn't tried a persimmon in over 25 years, after having had a bad experience with them as a kid. Persimmons look so much like tomatoes that I was totally weirded out when I bit into one and found it sickeningly sweet - a total fake-out to my tastebuds. At the time, I felt like my mom had played a mean trick on me.


Persimmons have become more mainstream in the past few years, even showing up at my local Wegmans. Perhaps it was time to give them another chance. A couple weeks ago, I stopped at my local Asian market and bought 2 fuyus at different stages of ripeness, one smooshy red one and a firm orange specimen.


We ate the red ripe one almost immediately - it barely held together when I cut into it, the insides bursting all over the plate. The skin was a bit tough but we ate it anyway, the juicy insides (like an over ripe tomato) were very sweet with the flavor of pear, mango, and papaya.


The orange fuyu has been slowly ripening on my counter for over 2 weeks. Apparently it's fine to eat when firm, but won't be as sweet. I'll probably wait for it to become soft and smooshy before eating it, but I bet it would be great sliced up in a salad right now. Another variety of persimmon, the acorn-shaped
hachiya, is too astringent to eat before it's completely soft and ripe. Make sure you check which kind you have before you bite into it!

Now for something totally unrelated to food...Hubby Kris and I just got back from Dublin, Ireland, where we saw U2 in concert! I'll be writing more about our trip and local Irish food in future posts, but for now, here are some highlights from the concert:





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11 comments:

KennyT said...

Welcome back! I thought I could see you screaming in the video, haha.

U ate the skin of the persimmon? I always skip it. ^^

chow and chatter said...

you too are adorable, it sounds really nice

Unknown said...

How fabulous!!!! What a cool looking concert. I think I might have seen your hand, but then I said, nah, that can't be phyllis, there's no squirrel on a stick in her hand LOL. Yes, I'm horrid. Welcome back daaaahling!

Jenn said...

See I ever would have guessed correctly. That's why I copied my anser.

If only the concert here in LA wasn't sold out. Next time.

Phyllis said...

Kenny: You could see me screaming in that crowd of 90,000? (well, I was screaming pretty loudly) and I might have shed a tear or two (but I swear I'm not one of those people who always cry at concerts)

And yes, Kris and I both ate the skin of the persimmon! I guess you are not supposed to eat it - it was rather tough! Well at least I got my daily allowance of fiber that day. What do you expect from a 'banana' like me? LOL!

Chow and Chatter: Thanks! We try :)

Heavenly Housewife: Why thank you daaahling! Good to be back. Hubby was holding the squirrel on a stick for me in one hand and a magnum bar in the other - I was too busy concentrating on my cinematography that night :P

Jenn: haha...well, at least you are honest :D As for U2, the Dublin shows were also 'sold out', but people were still able to get tickets the day of the show. You never know!

Anonymous said...

My parents really love persimmons but I'm still not a big fan. I do find them a bit too sweet.

I'm looking forward to hearing about your trip to Dublin! We were there last year and really really loved it!

Jackie at PhamFatale.com said...

It's good to have you back. Hope you enjoyed the concert.

I love Fuyu persimmon. I planted some in my garden they go so well grilled with some duck breasts.
Check my duck version at http://www.phamfatale.com/id_82/title_Magret-de-Canard-Rti-au-Miel-4-pices-Cardamom-Ginger-Mango-and-Star-Anise-spiced-Honey-Roasted-Duck-Breast/
I guarantee you, you'll want to pair this with caramelized fuyus

Teanna said...

I was searching like CRAZY for persimmons this year and I couldn't find them anywhere! I need me a Wegmans! That shot is gorgeous!

Phyllis said...

5 Star Foodie: Welcome back! You are so much quicker on posting about your trips than I am - I still haven't finished posting about my Vancouver trip in May! Dublin was fabulous - I just searched on your blog to read about what you ate in Dublin last year :)
I know what you mean about persimmons being really sweet. The flavor's also quite peculiar so I have to be in the right mood!

Jackie: Caramelized persimmons sound delish. So cool you are growing them in your yard! Your duck recipe is truly luxurious, especially with the spiced raw honey glaze. Thanks for sharing!

Teanna: Look for them in Asian markets - much cheaper than Wegmans, otherwise I'll have to send some persimmons your way!

Tangled Noodle said...

First of all, I don't think I have ever tasted fresh persimmon before but your description makes it sound great (flavors of pear, mango and papaya can not possibly go wrong!) I actually thought the photo was of a candied fruit!

Dublin rocks! And not just because U2 is in concert. We visited Ireland 2 years ago and fell in love with it. We're hoping that we'll go back someday soon. I can't wait to hear about your adventures!

Phyllis said...

Tangled Noodle: Let me know what you think if you ever try persimmon. Either you love it or hate it! And Dublin was pretty awesome. Wish we had more time there :)