Photo of Dried Persimmon

-- This is a sweet tasty treat eaten throughout Asia. Originating from China to Korea and then to Japan where Commodore Perry brought it back to the US in 1856. The white powdery substance is the formation of sugar crystals in the Chinese method of drying these tasty treats. Persimmons are bitter when they are not mature but sweet and tasty when ripe. Persimmons have been used as a medicine to treat constipation, hemorrhoids, and the stopping of blood flow. When cooked, the fruit is used to treat diarrhea and dysentery. Another use of the Persimmon is the use of the calyx and the fruit stem to relieve hiccups, coughs, and respiration. The wood is in the related family of the ebony tree and has been used to build furniture, billiard cues and also used to make the heads of a golf club. Dried Persimmons have been used to make a spicy punch, and the leaves have been used to make tea, and the seeds are sometimes used as a coffee alternate.