Persimmon is a sweet, flavorful fruit that hasn't gotten much attention. That's probably because many people don't know what it is, how to eat it, or that it's good for you.
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and their collaborators are working to bring this uncommon Asian native fruit into the limelight. In 2016, the United States exported 7.4 million pounds of fresh persimmons valued at $3.6 million and imported 7.4 million pounds valued at $5.7 million (USDA Economics Resource Service).
Persimmons are sold mainly in California, which produces 99 percent of the U.S. persimmon crop, according to Andrew Breksa, a chemist at ARS's Western Regional Research Center(WRRC) in Albany, California. Persimmon trees are also grown by home gardeners and in some other states.
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