먹방 (Mukbang) Monday: The Truth about 감 (Gam)

    Remember that slimy tomato look-alike fruit that I turned my nose up to on our first Mukbang Monday? It's called 감 (Gam), and I said that I had never seen it in America. Well, while it is true that I don't recall ever seeing it, that doesn't mean that it isn't there! My lovely friend Tina informed me that the English name for 감 is persimmon, of which there are many varieties!
    You know how as soon as you say you've never heard of something, it pops up everywhere? Well, that happened to me! I was having lunch at a cafe with my army sister Amy and we ate a lemon and persimmon salad. It was amazing! Of course, it is easier to run into persimmons in Korea, but I even saw a persimmon recipe on a food blog I follow!
    So for this mukbang, I'm going to show you my first culinary application for 감, and that's in salads! I'm always trying to make new salads that make a whole meal. They are so healthy, especially if you make your own dressing, which my mother taught me how to do. I used firm persimmons in these salads, so I guess I still haven't made friends with the slimy ones!


Here is the first salad I attempted and it turned out great!
Ingredients
spinach
1 firm persimmon, peeled and sliced
1/2 pomegranate
cilantro
1 avocado, cubed
grilled chicken
cooked quinoa

    I have to be honest, I rarely use exact measurements. I'm kind of a recipe's worst nightmare! But that's okay for salads, so I just used enough of everything for 2 people! I also served this salad on top of cooked quinoa, so the meal has carbs, protein, and veggies. I used salt, pepper, olive oil, and lime juice for the dressing. I have made a similar salad with mango instead of 감, so it makes sense that the persimmon would work here. It's sweet and has a similar texture to mango! I see more substitutions in my persimmon future!


Salad number 2 was inspired by the cafe salad that opened my eyes to persimmon possibilities.
Ingredients
lettuce
red cabbage, sliced
1 firm persimmon, peeled and sliced
grilled chicken
feta cheese

    The dressing for this salad is my stereotypical "greek" dressing, which is just olive oil, lemon juice, and raw garlic emulsified in the blender! I love feta cheese with lemon dressing, and I tossed the chicken in lemon juice and garlic powder before grilling.

There you have it! I have made peace with persimmons, and I look forward to eating more in the future. Do you love persimmons? Leave me a recipe in the comments!