Date plum

What it is

In the Western Himalayas, the berries measure just 1–2 cm (about ½–¾ in) across. They are round or slightly oval, yellow to purplish-black, with a dusty bloom on the skin. The small fruit belongs to the same group as the much larger Japanese persimmon.

Softness matters: before it is fully ripe, tannins can leave your mouth feeling furry and dry. Dried ones sold as Baby persimmons still have their seeds inside.

Where it comes from

Date-plum grows across temperate Asia, from Turkey to Korea. In northern Iran, it grows wild in the forests of Gilan and Mazandaran, where people gather it for syrup. In the Western Himalayas, it is called amlok and grows among other trees in mountain forests.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Gilan, arbadoshab is a way to keep the sweetness of the forest fruit. Its juice boils in tinned copper pans for three to four hours until thick. Traditionally, rice balls mixed with the syrup and walnuts were breakfast for people heading to the rice fields.

In the Western Himalayas, amlok also goes into a pulpy jam: the fruit is deseeded, simmered with sugar and water, then finished with lemon juice.

How it's grown

Male and female flowers grow on separate trees, though a female can form fruit without a male nearby. In the Western Himalayas, growers use amlok as a rootstock: a Japanese persimmon is grafted onto its roots, which support the other tree.

When and where you'll find it

In the Western Himalayas, harvest usually runs from mid-November through December. In Gilan, syrup-making usually falls in the second month of autumn, after the rice harvest.

Dried fruit is another way to meet it. Xurmalad’s online range includes Baby persimmons labelled Diospyros lotus, in packs from 100 g to 1 kg. They keep in a cool, dry place.