For Chengkou people, the persimmon tree is a shared memory. It is more than a tree growing in their yards, but a fond memory rooted in their hearts of hearts.
As winter reigns supreme, persimmon trees in the county's Daba Mountains' depths are becoming leafless, with only fresh red fruits hanging heavy on the bare branches. At sunset, the trees are bathed in a beautiful evening glow, creating a real sight to behold. On every tree hang heavy golden-red persimmon fruits, heralding a bumper harvest.
Planting persimmon trees enjoys a long history in Chengkou's Daba Mountains, and there are diverse species, such as Huoguan persimmon, Niuxin persimmon, and Mopan persimmon. Large and round, Mopan persimmon has a base shaped like a millstone (Mopan in Chinese) and a protruding and slightly pointy top, hence Mopan persimmon's name.
It not only tastes uniquely and mellowly but also enjoys high medicinal value. As early as the sixth century, Tao Hongjing ever wrote in his Supplementary Records of Famous Physicians that "persimmon which tastes sweet and astringent, and is cold by nature and non-toxic can dispel dampness and heat in the system, moisten the lung and prevent phlegm from forming and stop coughing"; Wang Xiangjin who lived in the Ming Dynasty once wrote in his Notes on All Various Herbs that "persimmon frost, namely the frost produced by persimmon, is the fruit tree's goodness."
Mopan persimmon can be eaten either fresh or frozen. If you like fresh persimmon, after Bailu or White Dew, you can put the fruits in a container in layer and soak them in mild water with a temperature of less than 30℃ for a week to remove the astringent taste, making the fruits more sweet and delicious. If you like frozen persimmon, you can wait until Shuangjiang or First Frost when the persimmon fruits are naturally ripe or become frozen and then thaw. By then, the fruits will taste crisp, sweet, and juicy, and have a delicious aftertaste.
Mopan persimmon can also be deeply processed. As a natural delicacy, ripe persimmon is plump, sweet, crisp, and delicious. So dried persimmon, which is dried but not hard, is both delicious and nutritious.
Besides, persimmon can also be processed into preserved snacks, wine, vinegar, jam, candy, persimmon frost, and plenty more.