Persimmon fruits are classified into astringent and non-astringent at harvest maturity. Astringency of persimmon depends on the quantity of soluble tannins in the flesh of the fruit, which accumulate in the vacuoles of specialized ―tannin cells‖. Persimmon tannins are polymers of proanthocyanidins, which mainly consist of catechin, catechin-3-gallate, gallocatechin and gallocatechin-3-gallate. Traditionally, to make edible astringent persimmon, the fruit was over-ripened (naturally on tree or by external ethylene application) which implied an important fruit softening. In the last century, several postharvest treatments including ethanol vapour, carbon dioxide gas, nitrogen gas or warm water treatment have been assayed to remove astringency without fruit softening. Under anaerobic conditions, fruit accumulate acetaldehyde, which reacts with soluble tannins transforming them into an insoluble and non-astringent form. Persimmon tannins, mechanism of astringency loss, deastringency treatments, and factors affecting the process of astringency removal are examined