Noto Shika Korogaki: Delectable Dried Persimmons from Ishikawa Prefecture |

Early every November, residents of Shika, a farming community on the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture, start working to prepare dried persimmons. The sight of the bright orange fruit hanging like window curtains in local homes is a reminder that winter is approaching. They are called “korogaki” in Japanese; “-gaki” is from “kaki” (persimmon), and “koro” is short for “korokoro,” an onomatopoetic word for rolling or rotating. The name alludes to the way growers spin the fruit as they knead it to soften the pulp. This is part of the traditional labor-intensive process that is maintained for the production of “korogaki.” The most astringent variety of persimmons is used to make “korogaki.” The combination of sunlight and breezes from the sea removes the astringency and brings out the sweetness of the fruit. And the resulting product is a delectable treat of a soft brown color. The Shika agricultural cooperative has branded this dried fruit “Noto Shika Korogaki,” and in 2016 the national government designat