Persimmons

I had heard the word "persimmons" before, but didn't realize it was a food!  And no, I'm not blonde, just not very adventurous enough to try things that have weird names like that!  My wonderful coworker D has once again helped me broaden my horizons!  She always has some type of fruit sitting on her desk at work and this week she has a bunch of these:

Did you know that they grow on trees?  Who knew such a thing existed?!  They are either shaped like a tomato or like a heart.  First they need to be peeled, then you can eat them raw, cooked or dried; cut up into slices or eaten like an apple!  They are high in glucose, with a balanced protein profile, and possess various medicinal and chemical uses - and are not to be eaten on an empty stomach I've heard.

Since I've never had them before I didn't know what to expect.  The one I had was a bit firm and honestly didn't have much flavor.  They can also be eaten when very ripe by cutting off the top and scooping out the insides...how interesting!  I will definitely eat these again.

I'm trying to not be afraid of food I've never seen before and have NO idea how to eat - that's what Google's for, right? :)  Thanks again D for sharing your exotic foods with me!