Each year the peak ripening and harvest season for persimmons runs roughly from September to December. According to statistics from the Council of Agriculture, the main persimmon growing areas in Taiwan are Dongshi in Taichung, Fanlu in Chiayi, Gongguan in Miaoli, Beinan in Taitung, and Beipu in Hsinchu.

Besides orange-colored “sweet persimmons” (tianshi), which are crispy and refreshing, and soft, juicy “water persimmons” (shuishi), there are also “astringent persimmons” (seshi), which have to be processed after harvesting to remove their astringent taste before they can be eaten. This last variety is mostly used for making dried persimmons (a.k.a. “persimmon cakes”). The hilly terrain and dry climate of the Hankeng neighborhood of Hsinchu County’s Xinpu Township make it ideally suited to sun-drying persimmons, and more than 80% of Taiwan’s dried persimmons are produced there. The golden-yellow “persimmon world” you can see in Xinpu is one of Taiwan’s most picturesque autumn scenes.

Simply delicious

Documentary evidence indicates that preserving persimmons by drying dates back at least 160 years in Hsinchu. Taking advantage of the powerful northeasterly monsoon winds that spring up in late October, local Hakka residents have long treated persimmons with the elements of sunlight, cold breezes, and time, to turn unbearably astringent fruits into sweet, soft and chewy persimmon cakes.

Lu Li-chien, owner of Weiweijia Persimmon Farm (Pro Persimmon), who has been making persimmon cakes for 40 years, says: “Persimmon dryers love cold fronts. Sometimes the northeasterly monsoon blows for a whole week, and we can rest easy at night. But we really worry about dew.”

Persimmon cakes made from the “stone persimmon” (shishi) variety are sweet with a chewy texture, while those made from the “bull heart” (niuxinshi) variety are large and fleshy. Many years ago Lu successfully adjusted the sun-­drying time and oven-drying temperature to dry the “pen persimmons” (bishi) harvested in Taichung’s Dongshi District each December. Epicures with a sweet tooth know that you have to wait until December for the sweet, soft, and chewy pen persimmon cakes to come on the market.

Specialized freezing technology is also used to dry persimmons. As the moisture slowly evaporates from the fruit, the sugars within it form a layer of white powder on the surface. This is natural “persimmon frost,” and the dried fruits can be combined with traditional Chinese medicines like wolfberry to make a chicken soup that can “clear heat and dissipate phlegm.”

Dried persimmons have diverse textures and degrees of sweetness, depending on the persimmon variety used. The persimmon cakes at right in the picture are made from those shown at left by further drying until their water content is around 30%. They can be combined with medicinal herbs to make a healthful soup.

Photographing the persimmon world

Although these days mobile phones have largely replaced cameras, many folks with high-end cameras are drawn to photograph the trays of golden-yellow persimmons during the drying period. Lu Li-chien doesn’t charge admission at his farm. He explains that many people who visit every year have become friends, and each year they call out to him and say, “Li-chien, another year has come.” Time may be relentless, but friendship is timeless.

Taking advantage of the monsoon winds of autumn, persimmons are set out in trays on racks to dry, creating a golden-yellow “persimmon world.”

Lu Li-chien sticks to the traditional method of sun-drying. The slow process of further ripening that takes place as the persimmons dry gives the best texture.

Dyeing with persimmons

In the past, fruit farmers used to compost leftover persimmons. But Lu I-cheng, fourth-generation heir to the Weiweijia Farm, worked with Hsuan Chuang University and a biotechnology company to extract tannins from the flesh and skin of fallen fruit to make products including shampoo and cosmetics, thus getting better economic value out of the entire fruit. This has added a new aspect to the family tradition of growing persimmons.

Persimmon juice is rich in tannins and pectin, and can also be used to make dye. In 2010 the Xinpu Township Office wanted to copy the success of Sanxia’s indigo dye and develop persimmon dye as a distinctive local product. The dye, made from fallen or blemished persimmons purchased from fruit farmers, expresses the frugal Hakka spirit of making optimal use of all things.

The township office also guided the founding of the Xinpu Persimmon Dye House, where the cloth dyeing area gives off the astringent aroma of fermenting persimmon juice. Dye House secretary Chung Meng-chuan notes that after a year or two of oxidation, the color of the juice becomes more intense. Through various persimmon dyeing techniques, cloth takes on earth tones like brown and gray-black, with a strong designer aesthetic. People buy face cloths, cup cozies, or bags, and then do DIY persimmon dyeing, making great souvenirs of their visit to Xinpu.

Persimmon-dyed cloth, with earth tones such as brown and gray-black, represents a natural and simple way of life.

Liu Zhuying and Liu Zhenzhu, daughters of the family that owns Weiweijia Persimmon Farm, return home each year to help with the harvest.