I first spied dried persimmons for sale on my morning run along Ton That Thuyet Street in District 4 in mid-December. The persimmons were piled high upon a wooden cart and sold alongside various fresh fruits and vegetables.

As soon as I returned from my two week stay in California, I bought 10,000 VND worth, which equaled six slices.

Persimmons respond very well to being dried and retain much of their sweetness and a good bit of moisture. The individual slices are coated in a powdered sugar mixture that acts as a preservative in addition to providing extra sweetness.

I asked the vendor how dried persimmons were made, but she had no clue because she was merely a middleman. Doh!

Whenever I eat dried fruits, I usually compensate for their lack of density by consuming more. However, this is not the case with dried persimmons because these babies are filling; one or two slices is more than enough.

I think that these taste best after they’ve chilled in the refrigerator for a while. Come to think of it, everything tastes better cold in this tropical land.