Diospyros virginiana In respect to the power of making heartwood, the persimmon rarely develops any heartwood until it is nearly one hundred years old. This heartwood is extremely close-grained and almost black, resembling ebony (of which it is a true variety). It is a common misconception persimmon fruit needs frost to ripen and soften, called bletting. Some, such as the early-ripening varieties "pieper" and "NC21"(also known as "supersweet"), easily lose astringency and become completely free of it when slightly soft at the touch—these are then very sweet, even in the British climate. On the other hand, some varieties (like the very large
Tomato states have adopted the tomato as a state fruit or vegetable (see above). "Physalis" that is also used in cooking Tomato The tomato (see pronunciation) is the edible, often red, berry of the nightshade "Solanum lycopersicum", commonly known as a tomato plant. The species originated in western South America. The Nahuatl (Aztec language) word "tomatl" gave rise to the Spanish word "tomate", from which the English word "tomato" derived. Its use as a cultivated food may have originated with the indigenous peoples of Mexico. The Spanish encountered the tomato from their contact with the Aztec during the Spanish colonization of