Chinese dried persimmons

[ggull]

Does anyone know what to do with these?

Once in a farmer's market, in California, I got some locally made dried
persimmons, thin sliced and great for snacking. A Chinese friend said that
the Japanese version was much better. I've never found Japanese dried
'simmons, but a while back saw these Chinese-origin ones in Super 88 and got
them.

They came 8 to a 14 ounce tray, simply squashed whole persimmons, and nearly
rock hard. I tried gnawing on one, which wasn't very productive, and
they've been sitting in a drawer since. I suppose I could stew them, make a
compote, but then I'd have to dissect them in the bowl. What the heck is
done with these in the country of origin?

[Tippi]

while back saw these Chinese-origin ones ...
They came 8 to a 14 ounce tray, simply squashed whole persimmons, and nearly
rock hard.

Are they covered in a pale fuzz? if so they are not for snacking but
for use in soups and congee (and more for health reasons then taste -
they restore your chi or something). If they look glossy and orangey
then they're meant for snacking. Different parts of China have their
own version of dried persimmons; when growing up in Hong Kong all I saw
were the rock hard pale fuzzy ones and my family never bought them.

[DC.]

Post by ggull
Does anyone know what to do with these?

normally & usually... chew it! but yours might be a little too tough by the
sounds of it. It's 'enjoyed' by some as a dried fruit during winter etc. or
when fresh fruits are not available.

Post by ggull
They came 8 to a 14 ounce tray, simply squashed whole persimmons, and nearly
rock hard. I tried gnawing on one, which wasn't very productive, and
they've been sitting in a drawer since. I suppose I could stew them, make a
compote, but then I'd have to dissect them in the bowl. What the heck is
done with these in the country of origin?

Chew it, chew it, chew it... or you could make a dessert by simmering it
with water or sugar water etc.. Chinese/Asians have lots of watery sweet
desserts called "Tong Sui" which translates as sugar water.. they'd chuck
all kinds of stuff into it from nuts, barley, root vegs like yam, sweet
potatoes etc. ask your Chinese friend. There's also a method of cooking
called double boiling or steaming, which involves placing ingredienst into a
bowl with a little water then covering it & placing the covered bowl into a
steamer or pot of simmering/boiling water to be cooked, it takes hours but
the outcome is like 'distilling' or extracting all the sweetness out of the
ingredients. I think this style of cooking is sometimes referred to as
boiling or making 'tonic' or for health purposes.

DC.