Why ramphal is winter’s most interesting fruit right now
Persimmons — aka ramphal or tendu ka phaare — are making a quiet comeback. Once that hill-station fruit you admired but didn’t quite know how to use, they’re now popping up on wellness feeds, and chef-led experiments on social media.
The term is trending online, with Google Trends showing a nearly tenfold surge in monthly interest last month, hitting a peak popularity score of 100.
Sweet, crisp, and seasonal, they feel perfectly timed for the new year’s eat-better mood. The revival goes beyond social media. In India, persimmon cultivation is expanding across the Himalayan belt, especially in Himachal Pradesh, while chefs are roasting, glazing, and turning the fruit into chutneys and spreads, treating it as more than just a salad add-on. And it helps that the fruit delivers on health too. “Persimmons offer a broad nutritional profile, with vitamins A, C, E, and K, key minerals, and powerful antioxidants,” says senior dietitian Alka Chaudhary, making them winter’s most quietly confident superfood.
Persimmon butter
For Suvir Saran, persimmons don’t need reinvention, just a gentle nudge. He believes seasonal fruit should slip easily into everyday cooking instead of being treated like a novelty. His idea: whip ripe persimmons into a soft butter with honey, a pinch of salt and warming spices. “It works on toast, pancakes, corn muffins, and even melted over roasted vegetables or pork,” he says. “It’s a simple way to make the fruit feel pantry-friendly rather than precious.” Consider it an easy upgrade for both breakfast and dinner spreads.
Persimmon chutney
Kunal Kapur starts with a simple question: why limit persimmons to salads? With their gentle sweetness and soft texture, they lend themselves naturally to chutneys, something Indian kitchens already understand well. His method is refreshingly simple: ripe persimmons cooked with water, vinegar, garlic and chilli flakes for about 12 minutes, then blended smooth. “Persimmons have a mellow sweetness that gives them an Indian voice,” he says. “They sit comfortably next to dal, paratha or even a festive meal.”
Sundried persimmon
Chef Kunzes Angmo reimagines persimmons through Ladakhi food traditions, where preservation matters as much as flavour. Rather than treating them as fleetingly seasonal, she suggests sun-drying ripe persimmons, a method rooted in Ladakh and echoed across East Asia.
They can be sliced and dried, or even pureed into thin concentrated fruit sheets. “Sun and shade drying is the primary method of food preservation here,” she explains. “Used for apricots, tomatoes and even churpey cheese. With persimmons, it deepens sweetness, extends shelf life, and anchors the fruit in mindful, seasonal eating rather than novelty.”
Persimmon BBQ
For Vicky Ratnani, heat is where persimmons truly shine. Thick slices are marinated with light and dark soy, oyster sauce and a dash of sesame oil, then grilled until smoky and caramelised. A reduction made from persimmon, soy and ginger becomes a glossy glaze, coating the fruit with deep umami flavour. The result is savoury, subtly sweet and unmistakably Asian, proof that persimmons can hold their own in bold, savoury dishes.
Why a superfood moment
Persimmons are one of winter’s most nutrient-dense fruits. According to Alka, “They pack an unusually wide nutritional profile: vitamins A, C, E and K, along with potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and copper, plus powerful carotenoids and flavonoids.” What sets the fruit apart is its rare combination of both soluble and insoluble fibre, supporting digestion and healthy bowel movement. “Because of the presence of flavonoids and vitamin C, persimmons act as a strong antioxidant,” she explains, adding that they also have anti-inflammatory and potential anti-cancer benefits. The fruit is particularly beneficial for heart health, helping protect arteries and reduce LDL (bad cholesterol). That said, moderation matters; Alka recommends, “Have only one to two persimmons daily as excess quantity can lead to severe constipation.”
