What Does Fuyu Persimmon Taste Like? Benefits, Risks & Uses

Fuyu persimmons may bear a resemblance to tomatoes in appearance, but their skin and flesh are distinctively orange. As exotic fruits, they offer distinctive flavors and can be enjoyed either when firm or fully ripe and soft. But what exactly do they taste like?

What does Fuyu persimmon fruit taste like? A ripe Fuyu persimmon is sweet with cinnamon undertones when fully ripe. The softer the flesh, the sweeter the taste. You can eat it when it’s still firm, but the fruit won’t have as many flavors and juices as a ripe persimmon. If you can peel the skin off easily, then the fruit is ripe and juicy.

Fuyu persimmons are versatile fruits even though they’re exotic. They go into numerous recipes well, and you have many options for preparing them, but they also have health risks if consumed in large amounts.

Read more to find out all about the taste and preparation as well as the risks of Fuyu persimmons.

Fuyu Persimmon Taste, Texture & Preparation

Native to China, Fuyu persimmons have been around for at least 2,000 years. The fruits are squat and look like a donut. Once the skin turns orange, the fruit is ready to harvest. The longer you keep it on the tree, the juicier and sweeter it gets as the flesh softens.

Flavor & Texture of a Fuyu Persimmon

The ripe Fuyu persimmon is sweet overall, but the degree of sweetness depends on how ripe the fruit is.

When the fruit first changes color to orange, the flesh is still firm and slightly sweet. It lacks the distinctive flavors that the fully ripe persimmon fruit has.

When the skin turns deep orange and feels soft to the touch, that’s when the persimmon has fully ripened.

The glossy skin is a giveaway. When you peel the fruit, the skin comes off easily. Inside, the orange flesh is quite soft and juicy.

What Should a Ripe Fuyu Persimmon Taste Like?

The ripe Fuyu persimmon has a unique taste unlike any other fruit. It’s mostly sweet with cinnamon flavors.

The fruit goes through different stages of ripeness, but if you want to get the best taste, you should pick a fruit that feels soft under your thumb and has a deep orange color and glossy skin.

Can You Eat Fuyu Persimmon Fruit Raw?

You can eat Fuyu persimmon right off the tree. As long as the fruit is ripe, you can eat it raw like an apple.

Taste & Texture of Fuyu Versus Hachiya Persimmon

Both the Fuyu and Hachiya persimmon have the same flavors and taste. But Hachiya persimmon can only be eaten when the fruit is fully ripe with a jelly-like texture.

As for Fuyu, you can start eating it when the skin turns orange and the flesh is still firm.

How To Eat a Fuyu Persimmon

Wait for the Fuyu persimmon to be fully ripe before you eat it. A ripe persimmon is fully orange with no green color on the skin. The fruit ripens if left for a few days at room temperature.

After removing the stem, eat the fruit like an apple. Sometimes you will find seeds in the fruit. Don’t eat the seeds.

It’s better to remove the skin and eat the flesh as the skin can be hard to chew. Slice the ripe fruit, and cut the flesh into cubes before adding it to your fruit salad dish.

Health Benefits of Fuyu Persimmon Fruit

Fuyu persimmon is a delightful and delicious fruit that is also packed with nutrients and antioxidants and has lots of health benefits. Those benefits can be summed up as follows:

Vitamins: Fuyu persimmon is rich in vitamins A and C and has trace amounts of vitamins E, K, and B16. Eating one ripe fruit gives you half your daily requirement of vitamin A.
Nutrients: The fruit is rich in carbs, protein, and fibers. A single ripe fruit has 118 calories. It also contains manganese, calcium, and copper in various concentrations.
Antioxidants: Persimmons are rich in antioxidants that boost the immune system and prevent cardiovascular diseases, neurological conditions, and cancer.
Heart Health: Consuming Fuyu persimmon in moderate quantities can help you regulate your blood pressure and free radicals in the blood to maintain your heart health.
Low Inflammation: Because it contains high doses of vitamin C, eating persimmon can help reduce inflammation and protect you against the flu and the common cold.
Lowers Cholesterol: Rich in fiber, persimmon also helps reduce LDL, or bad cholesterol, levels in the blood and boosts the immune system. The soluble fiber feeds the good bacteria in the gut, which is essential for our overall good health.
Good EyeSight: Many studies link vitamin A to good eyesight. Since one ripe Fuyu persimmon has 55 percent of your daily value of vitamin A, you can enjoy good eyesight thanks to this fruit.
Easy to Digest: The ripe fruit is easy to digest, and the nutrients are readily absorbed by the body, making it an ideal addition to your healthy diet.

Culinary Uses for Fuyu Persimmons

You can eat Fuyu persimmon in different ways. Here’s the lowdown on the many ways you can eat and cook this exotic fruit.

Raw: You can eat the ripe Fuyu off the tree just like an apple. The skin can be chewy, so remove the stem and skin as well as any seeds you find in it.
Salad: Peel and dice the fleshy fruit, and add it to your fruit salad.
Smoothie: Add the diced fruit to your blender to make a delicious and nutritious smoothie.
With Yogurt: If you prefer your yogurt with a dash of sweet and crunchy cubes in it, cut and add the ripe fruit to enjoy a healthy snack.
Pies: Replace your apple with Fuyu persimmon to enjoy a delicious pie.

Risks Associated With Eating Dried Fuyu Persimmons

If you eat dried Fuyu persimmons and get a dry mouth afterward, that’s because the fruit has high concentrations of tannin.

When tannin interacts with the acids in the stomach, it congeals and forms a bezoar. This lump of dense matter can block the intestines and cause many digestive problems.

Conclusion

Fuyu persimmon is an exotic fruit with a sweet taste and cinnamon flavors. You can eat the ripe fruit like an apple, cut and dice it into a fruit salad or a smoothie, or have it with yogurt. The tasty, crunchy fruit is a good substitute for apples in your baking.