Persimmon Butter Millefeuille (J Passport Exclusive)

This has been one of our most loved sweets since we first introduced it.

Whenever we offer it for tasting at an event, so many people who try it end up taking one home.

Dried persimmon and butter may sound like an unusual pairing.
Then you have a slice, and it makes perfect sense.

◎ The Sweetness of Ichida Persimmon

Ichida Gaki comes from southern Nagano. The small persimmons are dried until their sweetness becomes concentrated and the flesh turns a beautiful amber colour.

They are soft and pleasantly chewy, with a texture quite different from most dried fruit. That gentle chew is still there in the millefeuille, beneath the smooth layers of butter.

◎ Why the Butter Works So Well

About six years ago, when I first spoke with Matsuzawa’s executive director, this was the sweet they especially encouraged us to try selling in Singapore.

Matsuzawa layers Ichida Gaki with Japanese salted butter. The persimmon brings its deep, natural sweetness; the butter adds richness and a little salt. As it softens, the two come together, but you can still taste the fruit clearly.

That balance is deliberate. Matsuzawa chooses a mild, non-fermented butter because they want the Ichida persimmon to be the main character.

◎ Made with Care, Layer by Layer

The persimmons are peeled by hand and dried for around a month. Matsuzawa then opens each fruit, removes the stem and seeds, and layers it with butter.

A specially developed machine presses everything into the neat layers you see when you cut a slice. The pressure has to be just right: too little and the layers come apart; too much and the fruit and butter lose their shape. 

◎ A Little Slice After Dinner

Try it on its own first. Then perhaps with tea in the afternoon, or with red wine or whisky after dinner. We also like to place a thin slice beside vanilla ice cream.

It is sweet enough to feel like dessert, with just enough salt to make another slice tempting.

I’d cut an extra slice or two.
Once the butter softens, someone usually asks for another.

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