There are different types of kaki so be careful not to buy the astringent type or you’ll feel like you ate a roll of toilet paper.

Hachiya, Japanese persimmon is an astringent variety, is the most widely available persimmon in the United States. If it is quite soft when completely ripe, it delivers a smooth, creamy texture and a tangy-sweet flavor. If eaten even slightly under ripe, the hachiya will pucker the mouth with an intense, unpleasant astringency – you won’t forget it.

The persimmons that are non-astringent can be eaten while still firm. When ripe, they have a red-orange skin and flesh. They are smaller than hachiya persimmons and are more tomato-shaped and are delicious.