The winter season brings with it a variety of fresh produce of fruits and vegetables that make their way to vegetable carts throughout the three-four months. These include the popular leafy vegetables as well as apples, pomegranates and grapes, among others. While these instantly catch the eye of any person, an observation made by this writer sees one fruit not picked up as much as it should be. The fruit is persimmon, or ‘simran’ as it is popularly known among vegetable sellers in Mumbai. The medium-sized light orange fruit, which is available for a very short period in the market, is fleshy with a tough skin, and deliciously sweet. It is one that will easily surprise you once you move past its velvety exterior.

Why is it not popular? 

While it may be considerably popular in homes, it is not as popular in city restaurants as the writer would have hoped. It is only found in a handful of them, if not more, as others would not promote it as the star of their dish or even include it in their dishes in various forms. Chef Ram at Mainland China in Andheri believes that even though the fruit is popular in Southeast Asia, its limited availability in India restricts its use and thus limits its popularity.