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柿(かき)/Kaki, Oriental persimmon/Diospyros kaki

(基本情報 Description)

昔は、日本のどこの家でも表庭には柿、裏庭には無花果が植えてあったのを思い出す。最近は、産地にでも出かけないと、鈴なりの実をつける見事な木にはお目にかかれなくなった。僕の子供の頃は木登りや人様の庭の果物を盗み食いするのが遊びの定番だった。柿の木は折れ易いからと良く大人から注意されたものだ。スーパーなどには産地からの甘い柿の実が並ぶのだが、少々いびつでも枝付きの柿を野菜市場から買ってくる。食べる迄、枝のまま放っておくとちょっとした秋の彩りが楽しめるからだ。
柿は海外でもKAKIと呼ばれ、日本の田園風景に良く似合う。化石を調べると、縄文時代まで遡れるそうだ。食料として、数少ない甘みの嗜好品としてだけではなく、日常の生活に密接に関わる植物だった。食べるだけでなく、柿渋(かきしぶ)としても利用された。調べた訳ではないので真偽は保証しかねるが、「渋い趣味」という時の「渋い」は柿渋染めから来ているのではないかと思う。

I remember that in the past, every house in Japan had persimmons in the front yard and figs in the backyard. Nowadays, you can't see beautiful trees with bells of fruit unless you go to the place where they are grown. When I was a child, climbing trees and stealing fruit from other people's yards was a common pastime. Adults often warned me that persimmon trees break easily. Supermarkets sell sweet persimmons from the growing area, but I buy persimmons with the branches attached from the vegetable market, even if they are a little misshapen. If you leave them on the branches until you eat them, you can enjoy a little autumn color.
Persimmons are called KAKI overseas and look great in the Japanese countryside. Fossils can be found dating back to the Jomon period. Not only was it a food and one of the few sweet luxury items, but it was also a plant that was closely related to everyday life. It was used not only for food but also for persimmon tannins. I haven't looked into this, so I can't guarantee the accuracy of this, but I think the "shibui(tannin bitter)" in "shibui shumi" (unrefined hobby) comes from persimmon tannin dyeing.

(栽培情報 Cultivation)

柿は種から育てると、結果するまで非常に時間がかかるので、苗木から育てると良い。それでも結果まで3、4年は必要。

Persimmons grown from seeds take a very long time to bear fruit, so it is best to grow them from seedlings. Even then, it takes 3 to 4 years to bear fruit.

(利用のアイデア Uses)

柿渋は青い柿を摺り卸して搾り取った液体を瓶で発酵させて作る。昔は結構あちこちの家で藍の瓶と柿渋の瓶を持っていて、日常の染めに使ったらしい。特に柿渋は防虫性や防水性があるので、漁労網や番傘、張り子の保存箱等に使われた。鰻屋さんがパタパタやっているあの団扇も本来は柿渋染めである。和紙に強度と防水性を持たせるためだ。
柿と言えば干し柿、特に干し柿の膾(なます/干し柿を使った和えもの)は大好物だ。大根や人参などを塩揉みして、裂いた干し柿を混ぜ込み、控えめの酢と薄口醤油で良く和える。上品な甘さをゆっくり楽しめる秀逸な箸休めだ。また、大根を薄くスライスして塩でしんなりさえておいて、干し柿とゆずの刻んだものを、大根でくるくると巻き込み、酢に漬け込む。その数本を巻物に見立てて、気の利いたお皿に盛りつければ、大層上等なお茶請けとなる。
生の柿は、ベーコンや生ハムと合わせてパスタにしても美味しい。
渋味のある柿は炭酸ガスを充填しての出荷すると、渋味を抜くことができる。家庭でなら焼酎を吹きかけておくと、同様の効果が期待できる。糠漬けで渋を消すという手もある。
柿の葉は乾燥して柿の葉茶になる。また、押し寿司を包んで柿の葉寿司にしても良い。

Persimmon juice is made by fermenting the liquid squeezed out from grated green persimmons in a bottle. In the past, many homes had bottles of indigo and persimmon juice, which were used for everyday dyeing. Persimmon juice in particular has insect-repellent and waterproofing properties, so it was used to make fishing nets, folding umbrellas, and paper-mache storage boxes. The fans that eel restaurants flap around were originally dyed with persimmon juice. This is to give strength and waterproofing to washi paper.
Speaking of persimmons, I love dried persimmons, especially dried persimmon namasu (a salad made with dried persimmons). Rub radish and carrots with salt, mix in torn dried persimmons, and toss with a light vinegar and light soy sauce. It's an excellent palate cleanser that allows you to slowly enjoy the refined sweetness. Alternatively, thinly slice radish and soften it with salt, then wrap chopped dried persimmon and yuzu in the radish and soak in vinegar. If you arrange several of these pieces on a nice plate like a roll, it becomes a very high-class snack to go with tea.
Raw persimmons are also delicious when combined with bacon or prosciutto in a pasta dish.
Persimmons have a bitter taste, so if you fill them with carbon dioxide before shipping them, you can remove the bitterness. At home, you can expect the same effect by spraying them with shochu. Another option is to remove the bitterness by pickling it in rice bran.
Persimmon leaves can be dried and turned into persimmon leaves tee. You can also wrap pressed sushi in them to make persimmon leaf sushi.

(関連情報 Related information)

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