Diospyros discolor Diospyros discolor Diospyros discolor (commonly known as velvet apple, velvet persimmon or mabolo tree) is a tree of the genus "Diospyros" of ebony trees and persimmons. Its edible fruit has a skin covered in a fine, velvety fur which is usually reddish-brown, and soft, creamy, pink flesh, with a taste and aroma comparable to fruit cream cheese. It is native to the Philippines, where "kamagong" usually refers to the entire tree, and "mabolo" or "tálang" is applied to the fruit. It is a dioecious tropical tree that grows well in a diversity of soil, from the sea level to the
Black pepper pepper (the tongue-numbing dried fruit of an unrelated plant). Marco Polo testifies to pepper's popularity in 13th-century China, when he relates what he is told of its consumption in the city of Kinsay (Hangzhou): "... Messer Marco heard it stated by one of the Great Kaan's officers of customs that the quantity of pepper introduced daily for consumption into the city of Kinsay amounted to 43 loads, each load being equal to 223 lbs." Marco Polo is not considered a very reliable source regarding China, and these second-hand data may be even more suspect, but if this estimated a day