Common Chinese Name: 柿子 (Shi Zi)
Common English Name: Persimmon fruit
Scientific Name: Diospyros kaki
Common Form: Yellow-orange fruit, shaped like a flatter apple, with a four part leaf under stem
TCM Five Flavors: Sweet, Astringent
TCM Energetics: Cold
Meridian Affiliation: Heart, Lungs, Large intestines
Nutritional Information: 18% (44.8% when dried) carbs, 3% (15% when dried) fiber, contains antioxidants, vitamins A, C, E, K, B6, potassium, copper, iodine
TCM Benefits:
- Clears pathogenic heat
- Moisturizes Lungs
- Restores Qi
Functions:
- Reduces internal bleeding and dissolves blood clots
- Lowers blood pressure
- Alleviates hemorrhoids
- Improves digestion
- Resolves cough from heat in the Lungs
- May aid in goiters (iodine content)
Cooking Suggestions:
- Average serving size: 1 persimmon (~160g when fresh, 100g when dried)
- Fresh persimmons can be eaten as is or juiced.
- Dried persimmons can be eaten as is or cut up and added to baked goods, sauces, or salads.
- Persimmons can also be pickled, either on their own or as an addition to other vegetable preserves (like kimchi).
Five Seasons TCM Recipes:
https://fiveseasonstcm.com/blogs/salads-sides/korean-persimmon-kimchi?_pos=68&_sid=b270332be&_ss=r
Notes and Safety:
- Avoid eating on an empty stomach.
- Those with weak and cold Spleens and Stomachs and those who have a tendency for diarrhea and cramps should avoid persimmon because of its cold energetic.
- Avoid consuming with crab.