The Spanish persimon is derived from the Kaki fruit, part of the persimmon family which also includes the Sharon fruit. Best eaten fresh, the persimon has a gorgeous yellowy orange coloured skin that is easily peeled away to reveal the sweet orange flesh. Similar in its texture to a peach or mango it livens up a fruit salad with its bright colour but can also used in a range of recipes ranging from meat based dishes to desserts.

Grown mainly in the Ribera del Xúquer Valley in the Valencia region of Spain, autumn is the time when the persimon is in season. Due to the temperate climate in Spain they are at their best from mid October to mid December.

As with all fruit, persimons have plenty of nutritional and health benefits. Not only do persimons have twice as much fibre as an apple, they contain high levels of vitamin A and C, antioxidants, calcium, potassium, iron and magnesium. The Japanese and Chinese credit the persimon with being able to lower blood pressure, reducing the risk of clogging in the arteries, and often use them to treat the effects of a stroke.

And if all this is not enough to convince you to try one, the fruit is believed to be an alternative hangover cure. Drinking persimon juice is widely believed to lower the density of alcohol in the blood. What a splendid way to start the "morning after".