Savoring Persimmon Season

For many, persimmons are an enigma ingredient. Chef David Nayfeld of Award of Excellence-winning Che Fico in San Francisco and its Best of Award of Excellence sibling dangling persimmons off the tree with a stick at a childhood friend's house before realizing what they were. "I remember his parents saying, 'Hey, don't hit the persimmons, those are food!""

- AARON ROMANO

Nayfeld says most people don't know what persimmons are, let alone what to do with them. But he finds them to be quite versatile and a cherished seasonal ingredient. Every fall, he strings dozens of the orange orbs from the rafters of his NoPa neighborhood restaurant. There's no hitting involved, though, and they are more than dramatic decor. Nayfeld is practicing hoshigaki, a drying process that includes peeling and hanging the persimmons for four to six weeks (including a daily gentle massage), transforming the fruit to have a dried fruit-like consistency.

The activity has become somewhat of an annual tradition culminating in the fruit's usage during a special New Year's dinner. "It's a nice way to end the year; there's a lot of ceremony in it, and we usually pair them with one of the culatellos from our salumeria," explains Nayfeld.

Persimmons have a unique flavor, and if you ask someone who's eaten one, you might get several different descriptions.