Da Lat’s enticing persimmon season
dɑ lɑts ɛnˈtaɪsɪŋ persimmon ˈsizən

🌻Every year around the end of August, persimmons begin to turn green on the trees of the Central Highlands city of Da Lat. In September, the shell turns yellow, and in October, it is ripe and shiny. The persimmon season in Da Lat lasts until late November or early December, drawing many tourists.
🍊ˈɛvəri jɪr əˈraʊnd ði ɛnd ʌv ˈɑɡəst, persimmons bɪˈɡɪn tu tɜrn ɡrin ɑn ðə triz ʌv ðə ˈsɛntrəl ˈhaɪləndz ˈsɪti ʌv dɑ lɑt. ɪn sɛpˈtɛmbər, ðə ʃɛl tɜrnz ˈjɛloʊ, ænd ɪn ɑkˈtoʊbər, ɪt ɪz raɪp ænd ˈʃaɪni. ðə persimmon ˈsizən ɪn dɑ lɑt læsts ənˈtɪl leɪt noʊˈvɛmbər ɔr ˈɜrli dɪˈsɛmbər, ˈdrɔɪŋ ˈmɛni ˈtʊrəsts.

🌻At the beginning of the season, the fruit’s bright orange color adorns the hillsides, standing out against the backdrop of the trees’ green leaves and creating a unique picture.
🍊æt ðə bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ ʌv ðə ˈsizən, ðə fruts braɪt ˈɔrənʤ ˈkʌlər əˈdɔrnz ðə ˈhɪlˌsaɪdz, ˈstændɪŋ aʊt əˈɡɛnst ðə ˈbækˌdrɑp ʌv ðə triz ɡrin livz ænd kriˈeɪtɪŋ ə juˈnik ˈpɪkʧər.
🌻From November to December, towards the end of the season and after the leaves fall, the heavy orange-red persimmons on the trees are revealed like brilliant fire spots on the hillsides of Da Lat.
🍊frʌm noʊˈvɛmbər tu dɪˈsɛmbər, təˈwɔrdz ði ɛnd ʌv ðə ˈsizən ænd ˈæftər ðə livz fɔl, ðə ˈhɛvi ˈɔrənʤ-rɛd persimmons ɑn ðə triz ɑr rɪˈvild laɪk ˈbrɪljənt ˈfaɪər spɑts ɑn ðə ˈhɪlˌsaɪdz ʌv dɑ lɑt.
🌻Different varieties of the sweet, fragrant fruit are grown in Da Lat, including soft, egg-shaped and crispy persimmons, among other varieties. Crispy persimmons are one of Da Lat’s best sellers. Major persimmon gardens are found in areas around the city’s Tuyen Lam Lake, Prenn Pass, D’ran Township, Khe Sanh, Don Duong and Cau Dat.
🍊ˈdɪfərənt vəˈraɪətiz ʌv ðə swit, ˈfreɪɡrənt frut ɑr ɡroʊn ɪn dɑ lɑt, ɪnˈkludɪŋ sɑft, ɛɡ-ʃeɪpt ænd ˈkrɪspi persimmons, əˈmʌŋ ˈʌðər vəˈraɪətiz. ˈkrɪspi persimmons ɑr wʌn ʌv dɑ lɑts bɛst ˈsɛlərz. ˈmeɪʤər persimmon ˈɡɑrdənz ɑr faʊnd ɪn ˈɛriəz əˈraʊnd ðə ˈsɪtiz Tuyen læm leɪk, prɛn pæs, D’ran ˈtaʊnʃɪp, keɪ Sanh, dɑn ˈduoʊŋ ænd kaʊ dæt.
🌻Persimmons are in their best ripe states when they turn tomato red at the beginning of October, and can be picked and eaten immediately. Those that are still yellow and orange will need more time and processing to be edible.
🍊Persimmons ɑr ɪn ðɛr bɛst raɪp steɪts wɛn ðeɪ tɜrn təˈmeɪˌtoʊ rɛd æt ðə bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ ʌv ɑkˈtoʊbər, ænd kæn bi pɪkt ænd ˈitən ɪˈmidiətli. ðoʊz ðæt ɑr stɪl ˈjɛloʊ ænd ˈɔrənʤ wɪl nid mɔr taɪm ænd ˈprɑsɛsɪŋ tu bi ˈɛdəbəl.
🌻Da Lat’s renowned dried persimmon production requires fruit of a certain maturity, size and tenderness, and absence of insect bites and bruises.
🍊dɑ lɑts rɪˈnaʊnd draɪd persimmon prəˈdʌkʃən riˈkwaɪərz frut ʌv ə ˈsɜrtən məˈʧʊrəti, saɪz ænd ˈtɛndərnəs, ænd ˈæbsəns ʌv ˈɪnˌsɛkt baɪts ænd ˈbruzəz.
🌻The fruit should have a short stalk on which to tie a string during the drying process. Locals prefer oval-shaped or square-shaped persimmons from the city’s Don Duong area for this purpose.
🍊ðə frut ʃʊd hæv ə ʃɔrt stɔk ɑn wɪʧ tu taɪ ə strɪŋ ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈdraɪɪŋ ˈprɑˌsɛs. ˈloʊkəlz prəˈfɜr ˈoʊvəl-ʃeɪpt ɔr skwɛr-ʃeɪpt persimmons frʌm ðə ˈsɪtiz dɑn ˈduoʊŋ ˈɛriə fɔr ðɪs ˈpɜrpəs.
🌻The fruits are peeled, cleaned and hung up separately so that they do not scratch each other. They are then dried in an oven for three hours at 50-60 degrees Celsius, after which they are hung in a windy, cool area with sunlight, away from rain and fog, insects and birds.
🍊ðə fruts ɑr pild, klind ænd hʌŋ ʌp ˈsɛpərətli soʊ ðæt ðeɪ du nɑt skræʧ iʧ ˈʌðər. ðeɪ ɑr ðɛn draɪd ɪn ən ˈʌvən fɔr θri ˈaʊərz æt 50-60 dɪˈɡriz ˈsɛlsiəs, ˈæftər wɪʧ ðeɪ ɑr hʌŋ ɪn ə ˈwɪndi, kul ˈɛriə wɪð ˈsʌnˌlaɪt, əˈweɪ frʌm reɪn ænd fɑɡ, ˈɪnˌsɛkts ænd bɜrdz.
🌻After 5-10 days, the persimmons turn a dark orange and light brown color. Producers “massage” them to prevent them from being hard outside or too soft in the middle.
🍊ˈæftər 5-10 deɪz, ðə persimmons tɜrn ə dɑrk ˈɔrənʤ ænd laɪt braʊn ˈkʌlər. prəˈdusərz “məˈsɑʒ” ðɛm tu prɪˈvɛnt ðɛm frʌm ˈbiɪŋ hɑrd ˈaʊtˈsaɪd ɔr tu sɑft ɪn ðə ˈmɪdəl.
🌻After some three weeks, at 25-30 degrees Celsius in sunny, dry weather, the persimmons can be harvested. On average, some 7-8kg of fresh fruit are condensed into 1kg of dried fruit. Hence, the price is fairly high compared to fresh fruit, some VND400,000-500,000 (US$17.2-21.5) for a kilo of dried persimmons. Producers ensure there is no mold or fungus on the fruit during the hanging period and no preservatives are added.
🍊ˈæftər sʌm θri wiks, æt 25-30 dɪˈɡriz ˈsɛlsiəs ɪn ˈsʌni, draɪ ˈwɛðər, ðə persimmons kæn bi ˈhɑrvəstəd. ɑn ˈævərɪʤ, sʌm 7-8kg ʌv frɛʃ frut ɑr kənˈdɛnst ˈɪntu 1kg ʌv draɪd frut. hɛns, ðə praɪs ɪz ˈfɛrli haɪ kəmˈpɛrd tu frɛʃ frut, sʌm vi-ɛn-di400,000-500,000 (ʌs$17.2-21.5) fɔr ə ˈkɪˌloʊ ʌv draɪd persimmons. prəˈdusərz ɛnˈʃʊr ðɛr ɪz noʊ moʊld ɔr ˈfʌŋɡəs ɑn ðə frut ˈdʊrɪŋ ðə ˈhæŋɪŋ ˈpɪriəd ænd noʊ prəˈzɜrvətɪvz ɑr ˈædəd.
🌻According to food and health experts, persimmons contain a high amount of ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and can supply 80 percent of the body’s daily vitamin C requirement. It also supplies 20 percent of the daily need for fiber, which is useful for digesting food. Persimmons contain other vitamins, including vitamin A, beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene and cryptoxanthin, all of which prevent fatigue and weakness in eyesight and muscles.
🍊əˈkɔrdɪŋ tu fud ænd hɛlθ ˈɛkspərts, persimmons kənˈteɪn ə haɪ əˈmaʊnt ʌv əˈskɔrbɪk ˈæsəd (ˈvaɪtəmən si) ænd kæn səˈplaɪ 80 pərˈsɛnt ʌv ðə ˈbɑdiz ˈdeɪli ˈvaɪtəmən si rɪˈkwaɪrmənt. ɪt ˈɔlsoʊ səˈplaɪz 20 pərˈsɛnt ʌv ðə ˈdeɪli nid fɔr ˈfaɪbər, wɪʧ ɪz ˈjusfəl fɔr daɪˈʤɛstɪŋ fud. Persimmons kənˈteɪn ˈʌðər ˈvaɪtəmənz, ɪnˈkludɪŋ ˈvaɪtəmən eɪ, ˈbeɪtə-ˈkɛrəˌtin, lutein, lycopene ænd cryptoxanthin, ɔl ʌv wɪʧ prɪˈvɛnt fəˈtiɡ ænd ˈwiknəs ɪn ˈaɪˌsaɪt ænd ˈmʌsəlz.