Under the warm early-winter sun in Shenao Village, Meizhou, Guangdong Province in southern China, every yard, rooftop, and balcony is bright with peeled persimmons laid out to dry. The red fruit carpets the village, and the air is sweet with the scent of persimmons as families busy themselves with the harvest.

Villagers follow a time-honoured craft. From fruit selection, peeling, and arranging to repeated turning, kneading, and sun-drying, the process involves more than ten steps and takes about 15 to 20 days before the persimmons frost and become persimmon cakes.

Buyers from across Guangdong seek the village’s products, and supply often falls short of demand. This season, the village produced more than 2,500 kilograms. Made by hand and left to mature naturally, the persimmon cakes are soft, tender, and sweet, and have earned a loyal following in the market.