It is now the bountiful harvest season for fruits, and inside the orchards of Xu's Fruit Farm in Xueyan Town, persimmon trees are heavily laden with fruit, their branches bending under the weight. Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting light on the greenish-yellow fruits swaying on the branches, which from a distance resemble a tree full of little lanterns.

"Considering that the number of peach and grape growers is increasing and market competition is becoming increasingly fierce, I decided to blaze a new trail and pursue a path of differentiated development," Xu Xiaoyue, the head of Xu's Fruit Farm, told reporters. In 2021, he introduced saplings of the Taiquu crisp persimmon, a Japanese variety, from the Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences. After more than two years of careful cultivation, large-scale planting began in 2023, and now the 150-mu persimmon forest has finally entered its peak fruiting period.

The Taiquu crisp persimmon originates from Japan and is a premium variety among persimmons. It is a completely sweet persimmon that does not require artificial astringency removal, as it naturally loses its astringency while still on the tree and can be eaten directly after picking. Its texture sits between that of an apple and a pear, yet it carries the unique sweetness of a persimmon, earning it the reputation among consumers as the "aristocrat of persimmons."

The most distinctive feature of the Taiquu crisp persimmon is its crunchiness. "The fruits can be harvested as early as early September when they are still green, and at that time each fruit weighs about five liang (250 grams) with a sugar content already at 14 degrees," Xu Xiaoyue said. It isn't until around the Autumn Equinox, when the skin gradually turns an enticing orange-yellow, that the fruit reaches its peak state—typically weighing six to seven liang (300-350 grams) per fruit, with larger ones exceeding half a kilogram, and the sugar content surging past 20 degrees while the flesh remains crisp rather than mealy.

According to reports, the persimmon forest at Xu's Orchard that has entered its full fruiting period covers about three mu of land, and this year it is estimated to produce approximately 15,000 fruits. Currently, the Taiquu crisp persimmon is priced at 30 yuan per kilogram. The ripening period of the Taiquu crisp persimmon coincides perfectly with the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday, filling a "gap period" for local fruit production, effectively easing the concentration of fruit hitting the market and extending the sales season. At present, the Taiquu crisp persimmons from Xu's Orchard are mainly sold through on-site picking by tourists and scheduled orders.

With the autumn breeze bringing cool air and the persimmons at their sweetest, why not bring your family and friends to Xu's Orchard in Xueyan Town this season to experience the joy of picking and savor this autumnal sweetness straight from the branch. For inquiries, contact Xu Xiaoyue at 18961225979.