Date-plum
Diospyros lotus · Ebenaceae · also known as Caucasian persimmon, Lotus persimmon, Khormaloo, Amlok
A small, dark, grape-sized persimmon relative from the Caucasus and Asia, sweet and honeyed when fully soft — tasting, as its name says, of both date and plum. An ancient fruit thought to be the lotus of the legendary lotus-eaters.
At a glance
- Taste
- Very sweet and honeyed when fully ripe and soft, with a flavor between date, plum, and persimmon; astringent and mouth-drying until dead-ripe, like all its Diospyros kin.
- Origin
- The Caucasus, Anatolia, and temperate Asia
- Grown in
- Iran, Turkey, Georgia, China, Italy
- Peak season
- Autumn, Winter
Sensory & practical profile
Taste fingerprint
- Sweetness
- Tartness
- Aroma
- Juiciness
- Firmness
Approximate, at peak ripeness · 0–5
- Ripe when
- Fully soft, almost jelly-like, and darkened to yellow-brown or blue-black; anything firmer is fiercely astringent.
- How to eat
- Eat only when completely soft, like a tiny honeyed persimmon (spit the seeds), or dry them like small dates.
- Typical price
- Budget
Many scholars believe the date-plum is the fabled "lotus" of Homer's lotus-eaters — the fruit so sweet it made travelers forget their homeward journey.
When it's in season, by region
| Region | Peak months |
|---|---|
| Middle East | Oct–Dec (Iran, Caucasus) |
| East Asia | Oct–Nov (China) |
How to select & store
Picking a ripe one
Choose fully soft, dark yellow-brown to blue-black fruit; ripe date-plums are almost jelly-soft. Firm fruit is intensely astringent and must be left to ripen fully.
Storing it
A few days once soft-ripe. Firm fruit ripens over a week or two at room temperature; the fruit also dries well, like small dates.
Practical uses
🍽️ Culinary
- Eaten fresh when fully soft, like a tiny honeyed persimmon
- Dried like dates for winter
- Made into preserves, molasses, and country wines
- Used as rootstock for cultivated persimmons in orchards
🌿 Health & traditional
- Fruit and other parts used in Persian and Chinese traditional medicine
🎎 Cultural
- Long cultivated across the Caucasus and Silk Road; the "khormaloo" (date-plum) of Iran
- Widely thought to be the lotus fruit of Homer's lotus-eaters
Eating date-plum: what to know
What regular consumption looks like
Date-plum is a nutritious everyday fruit, best enjoyed as part of a varied diet. It is a good source of fibre (about 3 g per 100 g), which supports digestion and satiety.
Sensible amounts
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
Evidence & conditions
As a whole fruit, Date-plum contributes fibre, vitamins, and beneficial plant compounds, but it has not been shown to treat or prevent any specific condition — so it is best enjoyed as part of a healthy diet rather than as a remedy.
Date-plum: frequently asked questions
What does date-plum taste like?
Very sweet and honeyed when fully ripe and soft, with a flavor between date, plum, and persimmon; astringent and mouth-drying until dead-ripe, like all its Diospyros kin.
When is date-plum in season?
Date-plum is typically in season Middle East (Oct–Dec (Iran, Caucasus)); East Asia (Oct–Nov (China)). Peak months shift between the northern and southern hemispheres.
How do you eat date-plum?
Eat only when completely soft, like a tiny honeyed persimmon (spit the seeds), or dry them like small dates.
How do you know when date-plum is ripe?
Fully soft, almost jelly-like, and darkened to yellow-brown or blue-black; anything firmer is fiercely astringent.
Is date-plum good for you?
Date-plum is a nutritious everyday fruit, best enjoyed as part of a varied diet. It is a good source of fibre (about 3 g per 100 g), which supports digestion and satiety.
How much date-plum should you eat?
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
The date-plum earns its name honestly: a small, dark, grape-sized fruit that, when fully soft, tastes of both date and plum, with the honeyed richness of a tiny persimmon — which is exactly what it is, a wild relative from the Caucasus and temperate Asia.
An ancient, patient sweetness
Like all its Diospyros kin, the date-plum is fiercely astringent until it’s completely, almost jelly-soft ripe — at which point the tannins vanish and it turns intensely sweet. Across Iran (where it’s khormaloo, “date-plum”), the Caucasus, and along the Silk Road, it’s eaten fresh at that melting stage, dried like small dates for winter, and made into preserves and molasses; orchardists also use its hardy rootstock for cultivated persimmons. Its deepest claim to fame is literary: many scholars believe this is the fabled “lotus” of Homer’s lotus-eaters, the fruit so sweet it made travelers forget their journey home. Ancient, honeyed, and worth the wait, it’s the wild ancestor-cousin lurking behind the orchard persimmon.
