Hoshigaki: Traditional Japanese Dried Persimmon

Often referred to as “the Kobe beef of the fruit world,” hoshigaki is a centuries-old Japanese delicacy made through patience, intention, and daily care. This is preservation at its most meditative.

We begin with unripe Hachiya persimmons, naturally high in tannins and bitterness. Each fruit is carefully peeled, tied by hand, and hung to dry. After the first week, once the exterior has begun to firm up, the real ritual begins. Every persimmon is gently massaged for just a few seconds each day over the course of about six weeks.

This slow, tactile process breaks down the tannins and transforms the fruit completely, shifting from firm and astringent to supple, then leathery, with deep, complex sweetness. As the persimmons finish curing, a natural bloom of sugar forms on the surface, a quiet marker of time, care, and transformation.

Hoshigaki is truly a labor of love and an annual tradition we hold close. Made in small batches and only once a year, it’s a celebration of patience, seasonality, and letting time do the work. We hope you fall in love with it the way we have.