Persimmon. Date plum. Kaki. A soft, sweet winter fruit similar to a large tomato, originating in China and unknown in Europe until shown in Paris in 1873. It has green skin which ripens to a glossy orange red. It is eaten as a dessert in fruit salads or used in jam (US: jelly).
Quinoa. A golden seed with a high protein content and used like rice. It originated in South America but can be grown in more temperate climates. Boil for 10-15 minutes.
"St Peter fish." John Dory. A high quality, plump, flattish fish with a golden sheen, with an ugly but amiable face. It was first associated with Zeus, then with St Peter, as evidenced by the ‘finger marks’ left by him when he picked it up to remove a coin from its mouth to pay some taxes. It is also plaice.
Spurdog - a type of small shark or dogfish, said to make the best eating of all the dogfish. Also known as rock salmon. It is useful for its medium oily white flesh and is generally versatile. It grows 2-3 metres in length.
Thornback ray. A variety of ray with very good flavour, the wings and the liver only being eaten. The wings have strips of cartilage running through them, rather than bone, and are easy to deal with at the table as the flesh drops away readily. As the name suggests, the backs of the fish may have clumps of coarse thorny spines, swelling at the base. These are called bucklers. Thornbacks have a range right from Iceland to the Mediterranean.
