When trees shed their leaves in nature, it is time for persimmons. How the persimmon tree came to Italy is not entirely certain. It appears in fruit-growing treatises after the unification of Italy. It was probably the arrival of the railways that spurred the spread of this fruit tree, which is hardy and easy to cultivate. The sharecroppers of late-nineteenth-century Marche, Romagna and Tuscany knew this well: however it was pruned it survived, and however neglected it remained generous with fruit. There was always room in the cellar to ripen persimmons: they were picked unripe and left to rest for a long time alongside a few apples (the ethylene released by apples speeds up ripening). This was one way of reducing the astringent effect caused by the presence of tannin, which is valuable for health (it is digestive and astringent) but unpleasant for the teeth and mouth. The high content of tannic substances decreases day by day once the fruit has been removed from the tree.

This may be why, nowadays, persimmon consumption has declined: we are no longer used to thinking that a food needs time and a welcoming box in which to ripen, to be enjoyed at the right moment, with a teaspoon.

Several varieties are grown in Italy, from north to south, but the title of "land of persimmons" goes to Romagna, in particular the area around Faenza, home of the exquisite "loto di Romagna". There is also a special variety, the 'cacomela', which unlike the common persimmon can be eaten immediately after harvest because its flesh, delicate and aromatic, is not astringent.

The persimmon is exceptionally rich in vitamin A, and also contains vitamin C and mineral salts. It has a high sugar and tannin content, is energising, restorative for the nervous system and the liver, and antibacterial in cases of gastroenteritis.