These dried persimmons haven’t dried completely yet, but the astringency is completely gone, and the sweetness is just right. They have a flavor and texture that falls somewhere between naturally ripened persimmons and fully dried ones. Some people prefer dried persimmons at this stage. However, in this condition, they are prone to mold, and long-term storage is not possible. To extend their shelf life to some extent, they can be fumigated with sulfur, turning them into ‘anpo kaki.’ When they become anpo kaki and are sold in stores, they can be quite expensive, making you hesitate to buy them. In addition to ‘anpo kaki,’ there are other high-end dried persimmons like ‘koro kaki’ and ‘Ichida kaki.’ But when it comes to ‘Doujo Hachiya kaki’ from Minokamo City, Gifu Prefecture, a pack of 10 can cost as much as 20,000 yen, far beyond the concept of dried persimmons, and they are simply out of reach.

まだ十分には干し切れていませんが、渋みはすっかり抜けて、甘さは十分です。木なりの熟し柿と乾燥させた干し柿の中間的な風味と食感ですが、この程度の干し柿が好みだと言う人もいます。ただこの状態ではカビが生えやすく、長期間の保存はできないので、硫黄で燻蒸して、ある程度保存が利くようにすると「あんぽ柿」になります。お店に並んでいるあんぽ柿になると結構値段も高く、買うのもちょっと躊躇します。高級干し柿と言えば、「あんぽ柿」のほかに「ころ柿」や「市田柿」がありますが、岐阜県美濃加茂市の「堂上蜂屋柿」になると、10個入りが２万円もしますから、干し柿の概念を超えていて、とても手が出ません。