As the leaves change color with the arrival of autumn in southern Indiana, the choice of cuisine changes as well.\nFall brings its share of seasonal dishes, and while pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce might be the dishes that come to mind, there are also more offerings: those made from persimmons, a fruit indigenous to the United States that grows wild throughout much of southern Indiana.\nAmerican persimmons typically grow in the East, South and portions of the Midwest. Persimmons, or Diospyros virginiana, which literally means "fruit of the gods," were first grown by American Indians for a variety of purposes, including the treatment of afflictions such as diarrhea and dysentery, in addition to their nutritional value. For cuisine, they can be eaten raw or used to make a number of breads, puddings and similar dishes.\nJerry Lehman, a Terre Haute resident who is the director of the largest persimmon farm in America with eight acres of persimmon trees, said the persimmon tree is able to survive the cold winters of Indiana because it is indigenous to the country and has been able to develop and adapt through the years. \nThe fruit is not widely popular, Lehman speculated, because when European immigrants settled in America they brought their own fruits with them, such as apples, plums and pears and already knew how to utilize them. But Midwestern families know how to utilize the persimmon, he said, especially Hoosiers.\nIndiana, he said, is "the heart of persimmon country."
\n'Ounce-per-ounce,' one of the most nutritious fruits\nPersimmons are most commonly used to make traditional Thanksgiving dishes, like persimmon pudding and persimmon pie.\nMichael Cassady, who owns Michael's Uptown Café, 102 E. Kirkwood Ave., said he chose to include persimmon pudding on the menu because it is an indigenous fruit and because it has so much tradition in Indiana. Though he acknowledged many Hoosiers are unfamiliar with persimmon dishes, he recommends them to everyone.\n"It's a delicious dessert, very 'fall' in flavors," Cassady said, noting the pudding includes nutmeg and vanilla.\n"The persimmon itself is very tart," he said. "It's not too sweet, it's very satisfying and warm -- it's very much a winter-fall comfort food."\nLehman agreed that persimmon foods are pleasing.\n"It's difficult to describe, it's really a flavor of its own," he said. "But I've had many people who tasted their first persimmon and 99 percent say, 'Wow, that's really good.'"\nSharon Stater, a Columbus, Ind., resident who harvests and sells persimmon pulp from the two trees in her back yard, said persimmons have a very distinctive flavor.\n"It's something you want to like," she said, comparing the best months for persimmons to that of blackberries and strawberries. \nLaurie Sokeland, an employee at Dillman Farm, which processes persimmons, described them as an odd fruit.\n"A good persimmon will have a sweet taste, and a lot of people compare them to pumpkin because (recipes for persimmons) use the same kind of spices," she said.\nLehman agreed that persimmons have a uniquely distinctive flavor, which he said carries through when baked into dishes.\n"With apple pie, most of the flavor comes from spices you put in -- the spices are used to give it flavor," he said. "But persimmon recipes have little or no spices in it. It's just not needed because of the persimmon's flavor."\nLehman also said that "ounce-per-ounce" persimmons are more nutritious than most other fruits.\nBut persimmons aren't limited to foods -- they can be used to make wine and other drinks as well.
THE BUSINESS\nAlthough persimmons and their dishes are common in the Ohio River Valley, they are not popular nationwide. \nLehman, who describes himself as the "No. 1 U.S. promoter of the American persimmon," said he is working on ways to commercialize the fruit.\nCurrently, persimmons are mostly grown and sold in back yards and at markets, though there are some places that sell it commercially, he said.\nDillman Farm, 4955 W. State Road 45, is one of the largest producers of persimmon pulp in the area.\nSokeland said the farm sells between 8,000 and 12,000 pounds of persimmon pulp every year. She said the farm could process more, but they only process enough to meet demand.\nThis month, Lehman is attending a persimmon brunch in Virginia sponsored by Slow Food USA, a "nonprofit educational organization dedicated to supporting and celebrating the food traditions of North America," according to the organization's Web site.\nBy attending events like these, Lehman said he hopes to raise awareness about persimmons around the country and encourage chefs to prepare and serve persimmon products. He said he is currently working with the University of Missouri-Columbia and a few other universities to plan and develop some experimental orchards.\nBut Lehman said it is difficult to popularize the fruit when there is no large-scale commercialization of persimmons. \n"You can't buy (persimmons) in the store to make a product because there has never been enough of a demand, so there are no growers to fill the demand," he said. "It's difficult to develop the demand. They can carry the product on restaurant menus, but when someone says 'Where can I get this?' (the answer is) dead."\nBut Lehman, whose house is aptly located on Persimmon Street, said he is dedicated to keeping the persimmon tradition alive.\n"We need more commercial growers to supply," he said. "It's a developing market"
