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Published November 9, 2007 at 12:13 p.m.
I ate a Hachiya persimmon the other day and it made me think of this poem. The first time I ever tried one, I didn't know how to tell whether or not it was ripe, and the fruit had the most astringent, mouth-drying effect I've ever experienced.
Now I know to wait until the fruit feels like pudding inside of its bright orange skin, which, by the time it is ripe, may be dotted with black.
Lee's poem is full of memories. One of them is of an American teacher who served an unripe persimmon to her class.
Due to copyright laws, I must excerpt poems and link to sites that have the full text.
Persimmons
Li-Young Lee
persimmons. This is precision.Ripe ones are soft and brown-spotted. Sniff the bottoms. The sweet one
will be fragrant...
Read the whole thing on the Poetry Foundation's Website
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About The Author
Suzanne Podhaizer
Bio:
Former contributor Suzanne Podhaizer is an award-winning food writer (and the first Seven Days food editor) as well as a chef, farmer, and food-systems consultant. She has given talks at the Stone Barns Center for Agriculture's "Poultry School" and its flagship "Young Farmers' Conference." She can slaughter a goose, butcher a pig, make ramen from scratch, and cook a scallop perfectly.
Former contributor Suzanne Podhaizer is an award-winning food writer (and the first Seven Days food editor) as well as a chef, farmer, and food-systems consultant. She has given talks at the Stone Barns Center for Agriculture's "Poultry School" and its flagship "Young Farmers' Conference." She can slaughter a goose, butcher a pig, make ramen from scratch, and cook a scallop perfectly.
Speaking of Omnivore Blog
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Nov 17, 2008 -
Small "All Fired Up" Update
Oct 16, 2008 -
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In Case You Missed It...Hardwick in the NY Times
Oct 13, 2008 - More »
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