Persimmon

I recently had a persimmon for the first time. In Japanese culture, persimmons are a symbol of transformation because they begin as a very bitter fruit, becoming extremely sweet as they ripen and soften.

I spooned my persimmon out of its bitter, hard skin. The taste was ecstatic. So too, according to Chinese culture, as people age, they attain sweetness, compassion and add value to humankind. Or so they say. I’m 63, so I buy it.

Persimmons play a prominent role in an exhibit of Japanese kimonos currently at the Art Institute Chicago. The exhibit is small, but stunning, and shows kimonos from the 1920s and 1930s. I highly recommend it.