One of the hallmarks of Israeli winter is the Crembo, that appears on grocery store shelves with the arrival of December. This wintery treat, probably originated from Denmark, consists of whipped egg whites, lots of sugar and coated with chocolate.
This newsletter is dedicated to healthy and organic fruits and vegetables. So, we won't be talking about that Crembo, but rather about another kind – a Persimmon of the Roho variety, also known as 'Crembo.'
Why is it called Crembo? Because of its elongated shape, different from the flattened shape of most Persimmon varieties, resembling the shape of the popular Israeli treat. This is a variety of Persimmon developed in Israel in recent years that requires ripening and has already gained a consensus as a very tasty fruit, beloved by Persimmon fans.
If the story of the Roho variety is a very advanced product of development and cultivation, the story of the Persimmon itself is much older. Here, we need to return to the Hebrew name, which is ancient but refers to a completely different plant that was used by the ancient perfume industry in the area of Ein Gedi.
Since that perfume plant was forgotten or extinct, someone hastened to pair the orphaned name "Persimmon" with the exotic fruit that made its way here, and in many countries is called "Persimmon". The phonetic similarity led to the appropriation of the historical name. Incidentally, the common option adopted by many languages for this fruit is based on the elegant Japanese name カキ.
The fact that many languages in the world use the Japanese name of the fruit tells us something about the origin of the deciduous fruit tree from China in East Asia, where it was cultivated and reached Japan at an early stage.
The Persimmon first arrived in Israel at the beginning of the last century, but after the establishment of the state, it became a commercial crop that appears in the markets. It is packed with dietary fiber, an impressive blend of vitamins (A, C, B, and E), minerals such as calcium and potassium, and of course plenty of beta-carotene (the pigment that gives it its orange color) and other carotenoids considered essential antioxidants.
I know that not everyone likes Persimmon. Part of the problem is that, like other fruits that require a ripening process, there is sometimes a lingering bitter astringency.
In this context, the Roho Persimmon that arrived in the garden this week has almost no astringency, so even if you haven't been a fan of Persimmon in the past, give the 'Crembo' in this week's box a chance. It might be a corrective experience.
