Native American persimmons pressed through a sieve, mixed into a dense brown-sugar pudding cake, baked until the edges crisp like brownie and the centre stays moist.

American persimmons (Diospyros virginiana) ripen in the Blue Ridge forests after the first frost; Cherokee and later Appalachian settlers used the soft pulp as a sweetener. Persimmon pudding entered Appalachian home kitchens in the 19th century; the Asheville restaurants that revived the dish, including Rhubarb under John Fleer and The Market Place under William Dissen, made it the city's defining autumn dessert.

5 editor picks for Appalachian Persimmon Pudding in Asheville, ranked by editorial score. All Asheville signature dishes · Appalachian Persimmon Pudding across every city.