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More to persimmons than meets the eye
Persimmons left for birds and Gods 99.11.13/ Temperature: 10C/ Weather: Cloudy/ Wind Direction: NW
Start: Tsuruoka City/@Latitude: 38 44 14 /Longitude:139 49 18
Destination: Asahi Village/ Latitude: N 38 35 19 / Longitude: 139 52 27 E
Distance Traveled: 25kmWho would ever think there would be such a long story behind all of the persimmons I have seen since I entered Akita and Yamagata Prefectures? They reveal a Japanese respect for the natural environment as well as the ingenuity of locals to turn a bitterness that will make you cringe into a flavorful, healthy treat.
Peeled persimmons lined up and set out to dry. Over the past few days I spoke with several people about the persimmons which greet me almost everywhere I turn. My introduction to preserving persimmons was in Akita. "Have you noticed the persimmons left on the trees?"asked a friendly gentlemen on his morning walk. I thought to myself, "How could anyone miss the bright orange fruit that was found in practically every garden along the streets I had passed through." Reading my mind the gentlemen said, "Not the trees which are full of persimmons, the ones that have already been picked." "Look," he said pointing to a tree nearby. "There are three or four persimmons left on the tree. It is a tradition to leave a few persimmons, some for the gods and some for the birds. We thank the gods for the wealth of nature and leave some for the birds to let them know that we live together on this earth."
Persimmons which have been out to dry for a few weeks. When they are completely dried they will turn completely black. I recalled several of the little shrines erected for the gods of the fields or the gods of water I have seen on my journey. Similar to the persimmons left on the tree, they represent an appreciation that many Japanese have for the fruits of the natural world. The story of persimmons does not end here.
The persimmons which do come off of trees, have a different story to tell. Though sweet persimmons are juicy and delicious right off of the tree, bitter persimmons will make your whole body cringe at first bite (I know I just tried onec ). It takes quite a long time for the harsh, bitter flavor to leave one's mouth. The locals here have come up with clever ways to remove this bitterness.
A farming women shows me her delicious persimmons. At this time of year, persimmons hang from windowsills, along the sides of houses and even from clothespin racks. This is a local way of turning the inedible into a delicious and healthy snack. According to one women, depending on the temperature and weather, the persimmons sit out in the sun for anywhere from two weeks to a month. Once peeled the orange fruit is strung on long string and hung out to dry. "Light >from the sun god naturally removes the bitterness," said one young lady. "Otherwise the persimmons are absolutely awful," she said as if she had only tried eating the bitter fruit once. "When the fruit is completely dry, it turns almost black and we enjoy eating them until spring time."
An expression of delight after sinking my teeth into a persimmon. Just when I thought the story might end, the young lady whom I spoke with explained yet another way to remove the bitterness. "All of the persimmons here have had their bitterness removed." She pointed to the label on the box which read, "Bitterness Removed Persimmons." "These persimmons had their bitterness removed by Japanese spirits (shochu) We stack persimmons placing layers soaked in shochu in between them. Then we put the entire stack in a plastic bag and put it in the sun. The heat causes the shochu to evaporate. After two or three weeks, depending on the weather, the persimmons are juicy and sweet." I had a chance to try one. My mouth watered when I sank my teeth into it. I hope to eat as many as possible while I'm in persimmon country.
A monument erected for the god of water. In a country with limited resources such as Japan, the ingenuity of its people has created ways to make the inedible edible. I'll keep my eyes out for others.
Greg
PS. I have passed out of Akita Prefecture. How many steps do you think I took? Send in your guesses!
I lost the last scent of the ocean today as I slowly moved inland. I've reached the foothills of the mountains that cover much of central Yamagata Prefecture. I'm excited to see what the lives of the people here will reveal in our adventures
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