19 Oct, 2009
Placer County, CA Massages Persimmons for Hoshigaki Delicacy
Posted by: Beach Reporter In: california| dining
Placer County, California–If you think that persimmons are an odd fruit that don’t get much use, then you are unfamiliar with them as revered delicacies when dried, massaged by hand, and made into hoshigaki. Traditional to Japan, a “handful” of farms in Placer County where persimmon crops grow quite well are in their prime season for making the dried snacks that are given as gifts. One farm we visited in the California Gold Rush hills outside of Roseville in the quaint town of Penryn is owned and operated by commercial grower who has revived the lost art of hoshigaki in the most unsuspecting place.
Japanese Massaged Dried Persimmon, Hoshigaki, is a persimmon peeled and dried whole over a period of several weeks. As the fruit begins to dry, it must be delicately hand-massaged so that the sugars contained in the fruit form a delicate surface with a dusting that looks like frost. Unlike sliced dried fruit, which tend to be brittle and leathery, hoshigaki’s succulence and concentrated persimmon flavor is heavenly to those who have developed a taste for this specialty food that is labor intensive to produce, nearly disappearing because of the cost. The hoshi gaki method is traditional to Japan, and came to America with Japanese American farmers.
See full story & photos on Massaging the Persimmons
To buy this wonderful product, you have to place an order or get on list, as the crop is limited. We visited the farm of Jeffrey Rieger, Penryn Orchard Specialties, Penryn, CA, and can recommend his hoshigaki. Call: (916) 769-5462. penrynorchardspecialties.com
