Persimmon, the fruit which is actually a berry!

I tried this fruit (o.k, berry...), in season now, the other day and it was quite an experience actually...! First I was thinking, wow, it's wonderful! It was sweet and had this soft smooth consistence. But then suddenly it became acrid and left the tongue dry and kind of shaggy...!

Persimmon, called λωτός (lotós)in Greek, has to be more ripe if you want to avoid the acrid taste. When the colour is dark orange / red and the skin has started to crack they are ready to eat.

It doesn't seem common to be used for marmelade, but I think it would fit for that - I'll ask my aunt on Crete!
Kiki with the blog Mikri Kouzina has a recipe for Persimmon Liqueur (in Greek).

In Greek mythology, in the Odyssey, λωτοφάγοι (lotus-eaters) are mentioned like narcotic and making people sleepy, but it might refer to another fruit with a similar name.

At Ezine articles I read that Persimons is loaded with fibers and vitamin A, it treats diarrhea, the fruit probably prevents cancer, but they also write that it can be dangerous! It is possible that unripe Persimmons can create a bezoar in the stomach.

Καλή εβδομάδα! 
Have a nice week!
☼☼☼

Medicinal uses of Persimmon

Το κίνημα της πατάτας - The Potato Movement!

Read this post in Swedish: Το κίνημα τις πατάτας - Potatisrörelsen!

I have written before how strange it is that the prices are so high in the supermarkets in Greece, often significantly higher than in other countries. If we look at the prices in relation to the wages as well,  it's really very, very expensive here!

The potato price/kg is about 0,80 €. This price is very high considering that the potato producers get about 0,15 €/kg from the suppliers. As the people in Greece don't have a lot of money the sales of potatoes has gone down a lot the last year.

The 4th of February potato producers were giving away tones of potatoes for free in Thessaloniki. They thought it was better then to leave them rottening in their store rooms.

That's when the idea of "The Potato Movement" was born! The producers are selling potatoes in sacks of 10, 20 or 30 kilos directly to the consumers. The price is 0,25-0,35 €/kg and this way the people can purchase more potatoes and the producers are getting a good profit.

It takes place at some certain places of assembly, announced via internet, where you also order how many kilos you would like to buy. This coming weekend (10-11th of March) for example the
"kinima tis patatas" will take place at Kifissia (suburb of Athens), among others, and you can order potatoes at Zougla.gr.

As a result of "The Potato Movement" the supermarkets have started to lower their prices of potatoes. The same way of purchasing olive-oil, beans and other products will soon be possible!
Very good indeed!

The consumers take the power!

Read more about this?
Blogpost by Faliriotissa in the blog "Tails of Athens": The potato "revolution"
In Greek: Κίνημα της πατάτας wikipedia

Figs

We've gotten a lot of figs from friends on Naxos and now I don't really know what to do with them. I like figs a lot. They taste very good, are sweet and have a wonderful consistence! But you can not eat so many...I'm thinking to make marmelade. Or do you have a better idea?

(As you can see all figs are not green, there are also plum purple ones like these.)

Fig-tree