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Japanese persimmons with macaroons in cup

(Diosperi agli amaretti in coppa)

4 Japanese persimmons, big and well ripe, peeled and without stone
5-6 macaroons (biscuits), not finely crumbled
a blended mixture composed by:
two parts of the skin of an orange (only the yellow part)
a tea spoon of bitter cocoa
3 spoons of macaroon (liqueur)
a small glass of dry Marsala
a spoon of sugar
the head of a tea spoon of powder cinnamon

Peel the Japanese persimmons and remove their stones, then mash them with a fork in order to obtain a homogeneous pulp. Add the blended mixture that, liquid and solid stuff completely disintegrated, you will mix completely with care, then put in the refrigerator to cool down (about one hour). At the right time distribute this mixture in four cups of fruit salad, cover with the crumbled macaroons and serve. These Japanese persimmons can be eaten with a dry Marsala, but also with dry "vinsanto", if only it were the "real" one.

The Japanese persimmons (Diospirus kaki) are not very considered. In fact once mature and not picked up, they fall down and rot on the earth. This is a pity because they have a delicious taste and are easy to prepare, like in this recipe.
Personal nostalgia of childhood have pushed us to propose them, with the thought bringing back to the time when with a Japanese persimmon, at the afternoon snack, we ate a big slice of bread, with great satisfaction due to a full and characteristic taste. At that time it was very difficult to leave these fruits to rot on the earth; desirous hands, and not always the ones of the legitimate owners, provided to pick them up before their falling down.
The idea of this preparation derives from "La Cucina Italiana" (an issue of some years ago, when its recipes were less stuffed with "cream" than the current ones and it was, for us, a sure reference from a theoretical and practical point of view), the only "cooking" publication which is in our "graces", even if with some reserves. The elaboration "pro domo nostra" is due to Matteo (Alessi "the young") stimulated, as already said, by the nostalgia of Giuseppe (Alessi - well - "the old"). We think this is the best way to revive a tradition, we do not want to make the appreciation for a common thing to fall down, a fruit which is very excellent in its taste, but the today marketing strategies, especially the commercial valorisation of the products, pushing towards the exotic and rare fruits, make this fruit to be less considered.
Meditate people, meditate… "le cose nelle quali ogni giorno si imbattono a essi appaiono estranee… Che intelletto essi hanno? E hanno senno? Credono ai cantori di piazza…" Eraclito said these things 2500 years ago!

A Giuseppe Alessi recipe
Translated by Gianna Toni
Picture by Kee-Ho Casati