The wonders of Persimmon

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February 15, 2026 | 3:47pm

MANILA, Philippines — An imported fruit, Persimmon did not use to be easy to come by. But in the recent years, particularly this year when Filipinos hurriedly looked for 13 different round fruits to welcome 2026, it was among the common choices that included apples and oranges.

A sweet, edible variety of orange from the genus Diospyros, Persimmon is native to Asia but is grown globally. Diospyros fruits are known for their honey-like flavor, and Persimmon is no different.  

Eaten when already soft and jelly-like, it is harvested in fall and winter, which is why it is readily available during Christmas and New Year. You usually enjoy it as is, although bakers and pastry chefs also like making jams and desserts and baking pastries with it.

The Persimmon that we know is the Oriental persimmon fruit or Diospyros fuyu, although the most widely cultivated is the Chinese and Japanese Diospyros kaki. There are many other cultivars, including the cultivar Hachiya, which bears a heart-shaped fruit taller than the pumpkin-shaped Fuyu and resembles the tomato in shape and appearance. Some other cultivars bear edible fruits, while others produce inedible ones.

While Persimmon, in general, is high in sugars, such as sucrose, fructose and glucose, it contains carbohydrates, dietary fiber and protein, vitamins (beta carotene, lutein zeaxanthin, A; thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, folate, choline and other B complex vitamins; C; E; and K), and minerals (manganese, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, and zinc). It has a higher level of dietary fiber and dietary minerals than apples.

Eating persimmon is good for the health because its beta-carotene content alone provides benefits for the heart, as it is a carotenoid antioxidant that has been known to lower the risk of heart disease. It also contains flavonoid antioxidants that contribute to better heart health, as well as lower blood pressure, inflammation and bad cholesterol.

Persimmon come from a lot of countries, including Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Israel, India, Spain, and the United States. 

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