Persimmon leaf vs loquat leaf
Two Japanese orchard-leaf drinks, both by-products of fruit growing and both regional rather than national. One is steamed like a green tea; the other is usually roasted, which makes it a different sort of drink.
botanical
What is being compared
Point by point
| Aspect | Persimmon leaf | Loquat leaf |
|---|---|---|
| Processing | Young leaves picked in early summer, steamed briefly, cut and dried. | Mature leaves brushed clear of their dense brown underside hairs, cut, dried and often roasted. |
| Flavour | Mild and hay-like with a soft green edge, similar in shape to a light bancha. | Nutty and rounded with a faint almond note when roasted; greener and flatter when not. |
| Where it is drunk | Rural Japan and Korea, especially Nara and Wakayama, often from a household’s own tree. | Southwestern Japan and Guangdong, again largely from garden trees. |
| The preparation step nobody skips | Steaming, which keeps the colour and stops the leaf browning. | Brushing the underside. Unbrushed leaf sheds hairs into the cup. |
| Fruit connection | None in the cup. It tastes nothing of persimmon. | None either. Roasting rather than fruit is what gives it character. |
The short answer
Roasted loquat leaf is the more approachable of the two and persimmon leaf the closer to a mild green tea. Neither tastes of its fruit and that surprises people every time.
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