Pucker Up, Buttercup

Reader Gregory has been out picking persimmons and wants to know what causes the sour, pucker-y taste you get when you bite into one that isn’t quite ripe. Gregory, that’s a really great question. Tannins are responsible for that. They don’t have a taste or an aroma, rather they create a physical sensation known as “astringency”. It happens when phenolic compounds in the tannins combine with proteins in saliva. Little friction-inducing clumps of protein and other debris are created where ordinarily there is smooth lubrication. For the eater, it all adds up to a puckering feeling of dryness in the mouth, which can be downright off-putting.

Which is exactly the effect that’s intended, since fruits don’t want to be eaten before their seeds have matured. Which means that tannins are a type of chemical defense, discouraging consumption of fruit until the time is right. Consider them a warning to the taste buds, for indeed those clumping phenolic compounds can cause more serious problems if consumed in large quantities: stone-like aggregations in the stomach (known as bezoars) and potentially life-threatening intestinal blockages.

Don’t diss the plants, home boy. They’ll mess you up.

4 thoughts on “Pucker Up, Buttercup”

  1. Growing up in NC, we had the luck of a local persimmon tree in my grandmother’s yard to use for nefarious purposes….any unsuspecting new child who might visit. We’d talk him/her into eating a green persimmon and stand back and enjoy the fun. Of course it was inevitable that everyone learned the mistake and we’d have to wait for another hapless victim to come. On the other hand, my grandmother made the most INCREDIBLE persimmon pudding that used layers which isn’t easily found in recipe form on the web. Sadly no one seems to have the original recipe.

      1. Most certainly! I had high hopes my mom had a copy but sadly no. It beats all the others.

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