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Persimmon: How Sustainable is This Fruit?

The persimmon is a breed from the persimmon. Here you can find out how the two fruits differ and how sustainable the persimmon is compared to the persimmon.

The persimmon is basically a persimmon fruit. The Spanish variety Rojo Brilliante is sold under the name Persimone or the brand name Persimon. Originally, the persimmon was created in the Valencia area through a natural crossing of local persimmon varieties. This resulted in some differences to the original kaki. However, both fruits still have a lot in common.

Both persimmon and persimmon are characterized by an intense color. Their orange flesh is a bright splash of color in desserts or salads. The nutrient-rich pulp of both varieties is a healthy addition in winter. As with the persimmon, the flesh of the persimmon is soft and sweet. This probably earned the kaki fruit the name “fruit of the gods”.

The persimmon differs from the persimmon

Despite the similarities, the persimmon also differs from the persimmon. Through further breeding, she received some new characteristics:

The shape: You can recognize the persimmon by its slightly elongated shape. The persimmon, on the other hand, is rather stocky and round.
The skin: While the skin of the persimmon is hard, you can eat it with the persimmon. You can bite into a persimmon like you would into an apple.
Tannic acid: With persimmons, you don’t have to wait until the fruit is almost overripe. Even the firm flesh of the persimmon is edible without any problems. The persimmon, on the other hand, has to be fully ripe and soft before you can eat it. A persimmon that is not yet (over)ripe leaves an unpleasant, furry feeling in the mouth. This comes from the contained tannins, the tannic acid. These plant substances literally pull your oral mucosa together: they astringent. In the case of persimmon, this astringent effect has been bred away. The proportion of tannic acid in the fruit is correspondingly lower.

Persimmon: The fruit is so healthy

Persimmon is not lacking in healthy nutrients either. It is in no way inferior to kaki. The consumer window Hessen lists the following ingredients, among others:

Beta-Carotene: Similar to carrots, persimmon’s orange color indicates that the fruit contains the pro-vitamin A. Vitamin A is then formed from this in the body. This vitamin is important for cell protection as well as for mucous membranes and eyes.
Vitamin E: Vitamins from the E group have an antioxidant effect. They protect the blood vessels and strengthen the immune system.
Vitamin K: This vitamin is necessary for blood clotting to function. Vitamin K also promotes bone formation.
Vitamin C: Although the persimmon contains vitamin C, it is not a vitamin C bomb. According to the Hessian consumer information, the content is about 16 milligrams per 100 grams. For comparison: the same amount of oranges comes to 50 milligrams.
Vitamins E and K and pro-vitamin A are fat-soluble vitamins. Therefore, your body can process the vitamins better in combination with some fat. For example, add cream quark to a fruit salad or drizzle some linseed oil over your fruit dessert.

The nutritional information from the breeders’ association adds:

Minerals and trace elements such as iron, manganese and potassium.
Sugar: According to the growers association, 100 grams of fruit contain 14.1 grams of sugar. The consumer window Hessen explains that due to the sugar content, the calorie content of 70 kcal per 100 grams of fruit is quite high for all persimmon varieties. The sugar is composed of glucose and fructose, the glucose-fructose ratio is 0.9:1. With this value, the fruit should be better tolerated in the case of fructose intolerance.

Conclusion: how sustainable is the persimmon?

Regionality

The persimmon ripens in southern Europe between October and January. During this time it also comes onto the market in Germany. Conventional persimmons usually also come from Spain or Italy in winter. Off-season, however, they sometimes travel halfway around the world before arriving in Germany. They then come from China, Australia or South Africa.

If possible, only add persimmon or persimmon to your diet in winter. At this time of the year, the fruits have a shorter transport route behind them, provided they come from Germany. This improves their CO2 backpack in contrast to persimmons in summer.

Organic quality

When shopping, pay attention to organic quality. With this careful cultivation, the fruits do not come into contact with pesticides, especially shortly before harvest or transport. This is important with the persimmon because you can eat the skin. In organic markets, for example, you can find persimmons on the fruit shelf during the winter months. At Quiero Naranjas, for example, there are persimmons with the EU organic seal.

Origin

With fruits with the registered trade name Persimon, you can be sure that they come from Spain. They usually bear the designation of origin “Ribera del Xúquer”. That’s the name of the river that flows through the vineyards near Valencia. According to the EU directive, the registered designation of origin protects agricultural products for the respective area – similar to mineral water or Greek olive oil.

According to information from the growers’ association, the river is a major source of water for the persimmon plantations around Valencia. The association describes the region as one of the most fertile agricultural areas in Spain. The information does not indicate whether additional irrigation systems are necessary.

All this does not make the persimmon a really sustainable fruit from regional cultivation. However, another argument in favor of the persimmon is that it is a good source of vitamins in winter. In central European latitudes, fresh local fruit is scarce in the winter months. For example, you can use stored apples or pears, regional winter apple varieties, as well as preserved compotes such as plum compote or quince compote. In summer and autumn, on the other hand, you have a wider selection of regional fruit. You can find out what’s in season in Germany when in the Utopia season calendar.

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Mixed Diet: Can That Be Sustainable?

If you answer the question of what you eat roughly with “everything”, then you probably eat according to the mixed diet principle. We will explain to you exactly what a mixed diet means and how you can make this type of diet more sustainable.

There are many different types of diets. If you only consume plant-based foods, you are eating vegan. If you also eat eggs and dairy products, it is a vegetarian diet. Mixed diets also include meat and fish in the diet.

For environmental and animal protection, a vegan or at least vegetarian diet is particularly recommended. If you pay attention to a few points, you can at least make the mixed diet more sustainable. This article gives you specific tips on how to do this.

What does mixed food mean?

According to the Spectrum Nutrition Lexicon, mixed diet refers to “diets made up of plant and animal foods”. If you also pay attention to a good ratio of fats, proteins and carbohydrates, you are talking about a balanced mixed diet.

A pizza with salami, for example, would be mixed food thanks to grain, meat, cheese and tomato sauce, but not particularly balanced.

The 10 recommendations of the DGE

The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) recommends ten rules for a wholesome diet as part of a mixed diet. Some of these also have a direct impact on the sustainability of your diet.

It is particularly important that you make your diet varied and plant-based. That means: more plant-based than animal-based foods and as many different ones as possible. As a guideline, the DGE recommends at least 400 grams of vegetables and 250 grams of fruit per day for adults. With the plant-based diet, you also eat more environmentally friendly. According to the Bavarian State Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Forestry, a plant-based mixed diet reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent compared to a meat-based one and saves land and water.
You can eat fish once or twice a week, but adults should limit themselves to 300 to 600 grams of meat and sausages per week. By consuming smaller amounts of meat and fish, you should be able to afford organic and more species-appropriate animal husbandry at the same time.
When preparing food, you can make sure that you only cook it for as long and as hot as it is really necessary. On the one hand, this means that more nutrients are retained, and on the other hand, you can easily save energy.

This is how sustainable mixed food works

The DGE also gives direct advice on sustainable nutrition. You can combine these with mixed foods.

The central aspect is the already mentioned plant-based diet.
It is also important that you buy ecologically and fairly produced food.
Whenever possible, you can also shop regionally.
It is best to only buy foods that are in season. Then you are more likely to find an offer from your region.
In addition to the diet itself, you can make your mixed diet sustainable by handling food consciously. For example, try to throw away as little as possible to avoid food waste:

When shopping, make sure you only buy as much as you can safely eat.
If an expiration date has passed, check food for its appearance, smell and taste. Most of the time, the food is still edible without any problems even after it has expired.
Buy unpackaged products whenever possible. You can find fruit and vegetables at a weekly market – but often also in supermarkets and always in organic markets – to buy loose. You can simply pack it in old paper or cloth bags you brought with you. Maybe you would like to pay a visit to a packaging-free shop? There you will find a lot of different things, such as pasta or muesli, to fill in containers you brought with you.

If possible, avoid ready meals and frozen foods or at least reduce your consumption. It is almost always heavily processed food that is provided with preservatives, colorings or other additives. And by the way, you save money if you cook yourself and plant-based.

Try new things

Even if you eat a mixed diet every day, it can be a valuable experience to try a different diet from time to time. A particularly popular example of this is the “Veganuary“. You eat vegan for a month. By name, most people try it in January, but there’s nothing wrong with going vegan in April – or any other time.

In the Veganuary or just like that you can test vegan meat alternatives and alternatives to dairy products as part of the mixed diet. For example, there are various vegan cheeses or plant milk as a milk substitute.

For maximum regionality, you can also grow your own fruit and vegetables. A garden is the best option for this, but even with a balcony, you can take care of a lot of things. For example, you can plant tomatoes on the balcony, and even potatoes on the balcony are an option.

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