The white frost on dried persimmons holds significant medicinal value. It proves highly effective in treating mouth ulcers. Therefore, when purchasing dried persimmons, friends should avoid deliberately selecting those without white frost. When consuming them, be sure to eat the white frost along with the fruit—it offers tremendous health benefits.
Fresh persimmons contain abundant moisture, along with glucose and fructose. When dried into persimmon cakes, the water gradually evaporates. The glucose and fructose within the flesh then migrate to the surface. These two sugars have different properties:Fructose tastes very sweet and readily absorbs moisture. As it permeates the surface of the dried persimmon, it captures moisture from the air and adheres to the skin, similar to the syrup coating candied fruits.Glucose is less sweet than fructose but less prone to absorbing atmospheric moisture. As it permeates the persimmon skin, it forms a white powder that coats the adhered fructose crystals, keeping the entire persimmon dry. This white powder is actually crystallized glucose.
Medically, this glucose powder condensing on the persimmon surface is termed "persimmon frost."The white frost on persimmon cakes originates from glucose and fructose released from the fruit flesh as moisture evaporates. These sugars condense on the surface, forming a white layer. This substance demonstrates notable therapeutic effects for conditions such as mouth ulcers, dry and sore throat, coughing, and hemoptysis.