Friday Flash

Persimmons
Originally uploaded by pookie_san99.

Kaki or persimmons are traditional autumn fruit in Japan.In days gone by people used to have a persimmon tree and a chestnut tree growing in their backyard or that of their neighbors.
They can be peeled and eaten fresh though they are somewhat bitter or hung under the eaves of the house in a sheltered place and dried.This process removes some of the acidity.
Apparently eating dried kaki is a New Years tradition.I tried one of the persimmons in the photo above.It wasnt bitter as I'd been led to believe.The taste was more akin to that of a plum.
The kaki above were evidently grown with a box shape around it that gives them a cube -like shape.This makes them easier to store and pack than the more common rounder variety.
Theres also a pentagon shaped kaki available as a lucky charm.I've been told that the 5-sided kaki or "gokaki" also means "to pass an entrance exam" so they are popular with students sitting tests...