Imajo Dried Persimmons - Traditional Foods in Japan | Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

FukuiImajo Dried Persimmons

Classification (Large)

Agricultural products

Classification (Small)

Other processed agricultural products

Main ingredients used

Persimmons

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Region of inheritance:

Minami Echizen Town

Product overview (special characteristics and types)

Imajo Dried Persimmons are the specialty of the old Imajo Town (present-day Minami Echizen Town), where Hokkoku Highway’s post town of Imajo-juku was located. The persimmons are made in November to early December and are a traditional food eaten during the winter. A variety of astringent persimmon called “Nagara” is used. A distinguishable trait of these dried persimmons is how they are smoked with oak or elm wood after they are dried. This practice came about because it was difficult to dry the persimmons in the sun, so they were smoked in the hearth. Smoking the persimmons not only gives rise to a unique fragrance and flavor but also prevents mold growth and promotes a longer shelf life due to a lowered water content. The white powder on the surface of the persimmons is crystallized fructose, proof of the persimmons’ sweetness.

History and culture

The history of Imajo Dried Persimmons dates back to approximately 450 years ago, when traveling monks passing through Imajo taught the locals how to make the persimmons. The persimmons were known for their high nutritional value, giving rise to the saying, “Have one persimmon, walk a mile; have three and walk three more.” In the Edo period, travelers and those participating in the sankin-kotai (a policy of the Tokugawa shogunate which required feudal lords to move to and from the capital) would purchase these persimmons as non-perishable food for their trips.

Production method

Peeled persimmons are smoked in a stove where oak firewood is burned for five to six days, the stove’s temperature kept uniform to smoke the persimmons around the clock. This is a process that is carefully managed: the burn time of the wood is considered so different sizes of firewood are used for daytime and nighttime, and checks take place in the middle of the night to confirm the progress of the smoking. After that, the persimmons are washed with hot water to remove the soot, then dried in the sun before they undergo a process called “tanewari,” where they are rubbed between the hands to separate the pit from the flesh. This process causes the persimmon to become sweeter and softer. After that the persimmons are left in the sun to dry for two more days before they are shaped and strung — they are then ready for sale. The total time from harvest to finished product takes approximately ten days, with each step performed by hand.

Conservation and succession efforts

There are fewer and fewer farmers who make Imajo Dried Persimmons every year, but since 2017 businesses have been started and products have been launched to process and sell the persimmons. Within the prefecture, stores and food cooperatives sell the persimmons as local specialty products, and they are also sold via online shopping. In addition, there are plans to export the persimmons in the near future.

Main consumption method

Imajo Dried Persimmons are delicious as-is, but it has also been developed to be enjoyed in a variety of ways: sliced and paired with cream cheese to be had on a cracker, or as a dried fruit used in confectionery.

At-home recipes:Imajo Dried Persimmon and Cream Cheese Canapes

Ingredients

Imajo Dried Persimmons

1 whole persimmon

Crackers

6 whole crackers

Cream cheese

30 g (as preferred)

How to make

Remove the head of the Imajo Dried Persimmon and chop well.

Spread cream cheese on crackers before topping with the chopped persimmon. (Adjust the amount of cream cheese and persimmon to your liking.)

Recipe credit: Gurunavi