Good morning,
Today I am writing with dirty feet and a head full of persimmons. I spent the morning with other colleagues on the banks of the Xúquer river, and we all agreed on the same thing: before going out into the world, we must conquer Spain. Because right here, just two towns away from where we grow them, there are still people who don't even know what a persimmon is.
Let me tell you a fact that really gets to me. Spain harvests between three hundred thousand and three hundred and fifty thousand tons of persimmons every year. Most of them come from the Valencian Community, almost seven out of ten. And yet, six to seven out of ten are shipped abroad.
At home, less than half of the people consume it frequently. It's like cooking a delicious rice dish and having the neighbor from the fifth floor eat it. The neighbor is very nice, but hey, the people at home should try it first.
Part of the confusion comes from what many remember. The old persimmon had to be waited for until it was soft like jam. If it was firm, it would make you wince. Today, things have changed. There are persimmons that can be enjoyed firm, like an apple. They are easy to peel, cut into wedges, and eaten. And this is where we fall short.
Many people don't know this and stick with the idea of the orange puree that stains shirts. If that image comes to mind when I say persimmon, we need to have a chat and a tasting.
There's also a curious age gap. Older people usually remember the persimmon eaten with a spoon. Younger people, on the other hand, haven't even tried it.
Meanwhile, shelves are filled with imported fruits with costly campaigns. We, who have it in our backyard, haven't explained ourselves enough. Our fault. It's time to lend a hand and make it easy.
Does it make sense to look for markets abroad if we still don't know how to eat this fruit here? For me, no. First Spain, then Europe. When consumption grows near the tree, everything improves: the farmer receives a fair price, the product travels less, and it arrives with more flavor.
We only harvest on demand: every morning we pick the persimmons that will actually be shipped. From the tree to your table in hours. That's how you understand what a real persimmon is.
If it's firm, peel it like an apple and enjoy it with yogurt, fresh cheese, or in a salad. If it's soft, eat it with a spoon. Let it ripen in the fruit bowl and then store it in the fridge for a couple of days.
Why do I insist so much? Because here we produce top-quality persimmons, and people still look at it as an exotic fruit. "Exotic" is the word that comes up when there's a lack of explanation. There are no powerful campaigns, small businesses sometimes don't place it in an inviting spot, and consumer education is conspicuously absent.
Here in Valencia, we cultivate it the way our grandparents did. By hand, with patience and wisdom. We work with farmers from all over Spain who take care of their trees as if they were part of the family.
We advocate for a fair price and a direct selling method that allows us to look into the eyes of those who take the fruit home. That's why I would love for the persimmon to stop being the unknown fruit in the fruit bowl. So that, when autumn arrives, it has its assured place at the table like oranges or tangerines.
Tomorrow, as every day, I will review the orders at dawn, and we will go harvest exactly what is needed. You'll see that once you try a perfectly ripe persimmon, you'll recognize the next one immediately. That's where the conquest of Spain begins, home by home, bite by bite.
A big hug and thank you for being on the other side. We continue in the field, with a knife in our pocket and a strong desire for the persimmon to stop being a stranger in its own home.
See you next week!
