What is fuyu fruit?

The fuyu persimmon is a nonastringent fruit that is native to China. It is deep-orange in color and looks like a miniature pumpkin. It is the national fruit of Japan, but China is its largest producer. Persimmons of any kind are difficult to find in any U.S. market.

Fuyu is a Japanese word meaning "winter," while persimmon comes from the Algonquian language meaning "a dry fuit." The genus of the plant is Diospyros, which in Greek means "fruit of the gods." The fuyu is full of antioxidants, vitamins A and B, fiber and calcium. There are hundreds of varieties of persimmon fruits, but only two are commercially available: the fuyu and hachiya fruit.