Across East Asia, persimmons mostly stand for good fortune, success and a long life. In Chinese the meaning rests on a pun: the word for persimmon sounds like the word for “matters,” so the fruit wishes that everything goes your way. Elsewhere the meanings grow out of how people used the fruit. In Japan it is an autumn emblem and a prized dried treat, in Korea a sign of cleverness and sharing with nature, and in North America a vital food and a folk weather forecast.
China and the Wish That Every Matter Goes Your Way
In Mandarin, the character for persimmon, 柿, is pronounced shì, exactly like 事, which means “matters” or “affairs.”1SinoCultural. The Cultural Significance of “Shishi Ruyi”: Ancient Wisdom in Modern Artistry Put two persimmons together and they read as 事事如意 (shì shì rú yì), “may every matter go as you wish.”2Raf LifeStyle. What Do Persimmons Symbolize in Chinese Culture? The phrase is sometimes written with the fruit’s own character, 柿柿如意, so the picture and the blessing become one.3SinoCultural. The Cultural Significance of “Shishi Ruyi”: Ancient Wisdom in Modern Artistry
Because of the pun, persimmons appear on wedding gifts, New Year paintings, housewarming presents and teaware for someone starting something new.4Raf LifeStyle. What Do Persimmons Symbolize in Chinese Culture? Fresh fruit at New Year carries the same wish, and the fruit is also linked there with good luck and long life.5The HK HUB. The Symbolism Of 10 Chinese New Year Fruits Since the pun relies on Mandarin pronunciation, it is the Chinese-speaking tradition that carries this meaning, and other cultures that share the fruit do not automatically share the wish.
The longevity meaning has a separate source. In Chinese legend the persimmon tree holds seven virtues, including sweet fruit, sturdy wood, a long life, decorative leaves, branches where birds nest, and deep shade.6StuartXchange. Diospyros kaki
The fruit also appears in Buddhist art. The famous 13th-century painting “Six Persimmons” by the Chan monk Muqi is read through the number six, linked to tastes, thoughts, wisdom, ways and the patriarchs of the Chan school.7Wikipedia. Muqi Art historians see its simple fruit as expressing the basic nature of Buddhism, a sudden glimpse of the world.8Wikipedia. Muqi
Japan and the Persimmon as Autumn and Luxury
The persimmon, kaki in Japanese, is a beloved season word that signals autumn in haiku.9Seattle Japanese Garden. Persimmon: The Divine Fruit of Autumn Its bright fruit hangs on bare branches in fall. In art, a branch of orange fruit on a scroll or ceramic signals autumn, while dried fruit beside mochi points to New Year. The image is gentle and seasonal, not a pun as in Chinese.
At New Year, the rice-cake offering kagami mochi sometimes sits on a sheet of kombu seaweed with a skewer of dried persimmons.10byFood. Tastes of Japanese New Year: Try Kagami Mochi Rice Cakes The dried fruit are hoshigaki: persimmons peeled, tied, hung and gently massaged every day for four to six weeks.11Eater. Some People Got Into Sourdough. I Turned to a Japanese Method of Preserving Fruit. Their sugars then rise to the surface as a white powder, the mark of a good one.12Eater. Some People Got Into Sourdough. I Turned to a Japanese Method of Preserving Fruit. The labor makes Japanese dried persimmons an exquisite, luxurious treat.13Mirai Clinical. Hoshigaki, Japanese Art of Persimmon Drying
The fruit is peeled while still firm, with the stem cap left on so it can be tied to a string. Hung in a sheltered, airy spot, it first forms a skin on the outside. The gentle rubbing over the weeks breaks up the firm interior and brings sugar toward the surface. The result is soft rather than leathery, and the dried fruit are often given as a premium present.
One persimmon tree carries a more solemn meaning. A tree near the center of the 1945 Nagasaki atomic bombing survived the blast, fire and radiation, and after the war it came to be seen as a symbol of peace.14StuartXchange. Diospyros kaki
Korea and the Clever Dried Persimmon
In the Korean tale “The Tiger and the Dried Persimmon,” a foolish tiger fears gotgam, the Korean dried persimmon, thinking it is a creature scarier than itself.15Wikipedia. The Tiger and the Dried Persimmon A mother hushes a crying child by mentioning gotgam, and the listening tiger assumes it must be a fearsome monster. The dried fruit, a human-made food, becomes the thing that chases off a wild beast.16Korean Language & Literature (한국언어문학). Understanding the Tale of “the Tiger and the Persimmon” as a Story of Nature vs. Culture The story can be read as human culture and wisdom beating the terror of nature.17Korean Language & Literature (한국언어문학). Understanding the Tale of “the Tiger and the Persimmon” as a Story of Nature vs. Culture
By tradition a few persimmons are left on the tree at harvest for magpies, birds that bring good news in Korean folklore.18Korea.net. What Do Persimmons Symbolize Across Different Cultures? The gesture reflects Koreans’ bond with nature, the harvest and farming roots.19Korea.net. What Do Persimmons Symbolize Across Different Cultures? In Korean art, persimmons are also a symbol of wealth, long life and prosperity.20Wolf & Badger. Persimmon One – Limited Edition Fine Art Print
Vietnam and the Mid-Autumn Table
In Vietnam, persimmons are a near-essential fruit on the Mid-Autumn Festival feast.21vietnam.vn. The profound message from the Mid-Autumn Festival fruit platter: the meaning of each fruit Their orange-red color stands for good fortune, prosperity and success.22vietnam.vn. The profound message from the Mid-Autumn Festival fruit platter: the meaning of each fruit Their round, plump shape suggests fullness and abundance, fitting a festival of family reunion.23vietnam.vn. The profound message from the Mid-Autumn Festival fruit platter: the meaning of each fruit In feng shui they are also thought to bring wealth and peace to a home.24vietnam.vn. The profound message from the Mid-Autumn Festival fruit platter: the meaning of each fruit
North America and a Fruit People Depended On
The American persimmon was the most important fruit for Native peoples of the Southeast, eaten for over 12,000 years.25McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture. #PlantOfTheMonth: Persimmon | McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture It was dried and made into cakes or bread; de Soto’s 1540s expedition described loaves “like bricks” made of its pulp.26McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture. #PlantOfTheMonth: Persimmon | McClung Museum of Natural History & Culture27Woodlanders. American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana): Lore and Growing The Powhatan dried the fruit on mats like prunes, and Algonquin speakers called dried fruit “putchamin,” the root of the English name.28Woodlanders. American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana): Lore and Growing29Times-Mail. Persimmons fed early settlers
The Cherokee made persimmon pudding, and the Rappahannock brewed a beer from fruit rolled in cornmeal.30Woodlanders. American Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana): Lore and Growing Pulp went into breads and soups with cornmeal and ground acorns, and bark and syrup treated sore throats and mouth ailments.31Times-Mail. Persimmons fed early settlers Persimmon pudding remains a fall tradition in parts of the Midwest and South.
An American folk custom reads the winter in persimmon seeds, dating to at least the early 1800s and possibly to Cherokee and other Eastern Woodland peoples.32Farmers’ Almanac. Persimmon Seed Weather Prediction: How to Read the Winter Forecast Split a seed from a ripe fruit: a spoon shape means heavy snow, a knife means cutting cold, and a fork means a mild winter.33Blue Ridge Hiking Co.. How is a Persimmon Connected to Winter Weather? It is folklore, not a reliable forecast.
Fruit of the Gods and the Name That Traveled to Turkey
Persimmons belong to the plant group Diospyros, named by Linnaeus and often translated as “fruit of the gods.”34Homestead Gardens, Inc.. Persimmons, Fruit of the Gods35Nadia’s Backyard. Backyard Food of the Gods The Greek, however, is disputed, with readings including “fruit of Zeus,” “divine pear” and “God’s fire.”36Nadia’s Backyard. Backyard Food of the Gods
The fruit’s journey west left another heavenly name. In Turkey it is called Trabzon hurması, “date from Trabzon,” or cennet hurması, “date from heaven.”37Daily Sabah. 2020, a golden year for dried Mediterranean persimmon in Turkey It spread across Anatolia through the port of Trabzon after traveling the Silk Road from China.38Daily Sabah. 2020, a golden year for dried Mediterranean persimmon in Turkey
Ripening Sweetness as a Life Lesson
An unripe astringent persimmon is so harsh it makes the mouth pucker and must be spat out.39anomalogue blog. How Does a Persimmon Become Sweet? Buddhist teachers compare it to practice that must fully ripen before it can nourish a life.40anomalogue blog. How Does a Persimmon Become Sweet?
The metaphor is literally true of the fruit. Astringent kinds like Hachiya must be soft as jelly before eating, and waiting turns them from inedible to very sweet. Firm Fuyu-type fruit can be eaten crisp, so the lesson fits the astringent varieties best.