There’s a certain fruit which is a fall favourite of the Japanese, and not only is it just as popular in France, but they even use the Japanese word to describe it.

In English we call it persimmon, but it’s known in both Japan and France as ‘kaki’.

But when random French people were asked about the origin of this fruit they gave various answers such as Spain or Israel. Despite using the Japanese word for persimmon in their own language, they didn’t seem to associate it with Japan at all.

So in order to boost the image of Japanese persimmon overseas, the prefecture that boasts the biggest harvest of persimmons in Japan, Wakayama, brought some of their produce to a Paris bistro to show how the fruit can be incorporated into French cuisine.

They created a sea bass carpaccio in citrus marinade, incorporating two Wakayama grown persimmons.

The 51 guests who sampled the carpaccio had only praise for the elegant dish.

The Wakayama persimmons could easily satisfy the famously refined tastes of the Parisians.

Watching the video, it’s heartwarming to see the joy of the farmers that came all the way from Japan, when seeing that even overseas, people can enjoy Wakayama persimmons.

Persimmon Fusion Cuisine Recipes You Can Try Yourself

If the video has piqued your interest in the charms of the nutritious persimmon, JA Group Wakayama started the Party Tonight with Kaki campaign, which shows of the versatility of the fruit using recipes inspired by food from all over the world.

If you check out their website, you can see persimmon recipes based around the big hitters of the food world such as Italian and Chinese, but also dishes inspired by lesser known cuisines such as Senegal. There are twenty recipes available for those who want to get creative with kaki.

If you make the recipe yourself, or even just see one you would love to try, you can vote for your favourite dish using the いいね button!

Vote here on the Party Tonight with Kaki website!

We Attended the Kaki Kick Off Event

The campaign started with a kick-off event at the Aeon Style at Shinagawa Seaside, attended by some of Grape’s own editing team.

Carrying on from last year, the campaign mascots were in attendance, and there were appearances by DJ Miso Shiru and MC Gohan (known by the cute nickname Omisohan).

Everyone enjoyed a quiz about the persimmon cuisine from around the world, and each dish was individually introduced. It seems Omisohan’s favourite dish was the Singapore style yu sheng in persimmon and kishu plum sauce. We’re still at a loss as to which dish we should vote for on the website!

Lastly the persimmon mascot characters, Kakine-chan and Kaki-tan, entertained us with a live performance.

Every autumn, Wakayama’s persimmons show us new charms. This year, the persimmon world cuisine could make an interesting addition to your Halloween party!

If you do try them out, remember to vote for your favourite dish on the website!

Party Tonight with Kaki Campaign – Persimmon World Cuisine

15th – 26th September 2018

Party Tonight with Kaki Campaign Website


By - grape Japan editorial staff.

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