Content
Kakis have nothing in common with citrus fruits
Kakis are - as with lemons, oranges etc. - berry fruits. Besides this fact and the similarity in shape and color, the diospyros kaki and citrus have little in common.
Both kaki and citrus trees have their origins in Asia. In our fruit trade, the fruits are available year-round. On the supermarket shelf you could confuse the oranges and the kakis from a distance because of the color and size equality. On closer inspection, however, there are hardly any similarities apart from the shell, which is colored in bright orange. The citrus fruits include u. a .:
Kakipflanzen
The kaki trees belong to the family of the ebony plants, while the citrus plants are assigned to the family rhombus plants. The citrus trees are evergreen, the kaki trees are deciduous trees. The citrus trees are susceptible to many diseases and pests, they require intensive care for good yield. In contrast, the kaki trees are extremely easy to maintain.
However, both plants are not hardy and need to ripen the fruit tropical or subtropical climate. In most regions of Germany you can cultivate them only as potted plants.
persimmons
All citrus fruits are not climacteric, they can not ripen after harvesting. The immature harvested kaki fruit, however, only reach the full ripe for consumption by the long storage. In contrast to the citrus fruits, a ripe persimmon, Sharon or persimmon taste very sweet. The bitter aftertaste, which leaves a furry coating on the tongue, testifies to a lack of maturity.
All kaki varieties can be eaten whole, they have neither an inedible shell, nor seeds or intermediate skins, which one would have to remove. Broken open, the pulp of the persimmon shows a star-shaped pattern. Due to the high sugar content, the nutritional value of the kakis is comparable to that of the grapes. In contrast, citrus fruits are valued above all for their high content of vitamin C.
Tips & Tricks
The kaki trees are made of ebony in their core, which is dyed black, very hard and heavy. It is one of the most valuable types of wood.