Quince
Hard, aromatic golden fruit of ancient cultivation.
The quince (Cydonia oblonga) is the sole member of the genus Cydonia in the Malinae subtribe of the Rosaceae family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard, aromatic bright golden-yellow pome fruit, similar in appearance to a pear. Ripe quince fruits are hard, tart, and astringent, and are eaten raw or processed into jam, quince cheese, or alcoholic drinks. The quince tree is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant for its attractive pale pink blossoms and as a miniature bonsai plant.
- Scientific name
- Cydonia oblonga
- Family
- Rosaceae
- Native region
- Hyrcanian forests south of the Caspian Sea in Iran
- Fruit type
- Pome
- Typical height
- 4 to 6 metres (13 to 20 feet)
- Top producers
- Turkey and China (44% of total)
Lore & Background
Quince is native to the Hyrcanian forests south of the Caspian Sea in Iran. From that centre of origin it was spread radially by Neolithic farmers, c. Landraces were then distributed across Europe, Russia, China, India, and North Africa. Charlemagne directed that quinces be planted in well-stocked orchards. The fruit had acquired its English name by the 14th century. Settlers brought it to North America in the 17th century, and to Central and South America in the 18th century.
Reader's Guide
The quince has been cultivated for millennia, valued for its fragrant, hard fruit that is too tart and astringent to eat raw in most varieties but transforms with cooking into jams, jellies, and the firm paste known as quince cheese (dulce de membrillo). Its high pectin content makes it ideal for preserves. The fruit was known in Akkadian as supurgillu and in Mishnaic Hebrew as prishin; some ancients called it 'golden apples'. It was associated with Aphrodite in Greek mythology, and a quince figured in a lost poem of Callimachus as a means of making a binding vow. The Roman cookbook De re coquinaria of Apicius gives instructions for preserving quinces in honey and reduced wine. Today, quince is cultivated on all continents in warm-temperate and temperate climates, and is used as rootstock for certain pear cultivars. Its seeds contain nitriles that can produce toxic hydrogen cyanide if eaten in large quantities.
Did You Know?
- Quince is the sole member of the genus Cydonia in the Rosaceae family.
- The seeds contain nitriles that can produce toxic hydrogen cyanide if eaten in large quantities.
- Quince was known in the Akkadian language as supurgillu.
- The fruit turns red when cooked with sugar due to the presence of pigmented anthocyanins.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Quince?
Quince is a firm, intensely fragrant golden-yellow pome fruit that grows on a deciduous tree in the rose family. It is the only species in the genus Cydonia and closely resembles a small pear in shape and color.
What does Quince taste like and how do people eat it?
In its raw state the fruit is notably hard, tart, and astringent, so most people prefer to cook it down into preserves, quince cheese, or fold it into alcoholic beverages. It is rarely enjoyed fresh straight off the tree.
Where does Quince originally come from?
The fruit traces its origins to the Hyrcanian forests in the area south of the Caspian Sea in present-day Iran. Today Turkey and China together produce roughly 44 percent of the world's quince crop.
What does a Quince tree look like?
It is a modest deciduous tree that typically grows between 13 and 20 feet tall. Beyond its fruit, it is popular as an ornamental for its soft pale-pink spring blossoms and can even be trained into a miniature bonsai.
Why is Quince considered special among edible fruits?
It is one of the oldest fruits humans have cultivated and holds a unique taxonomic spot as the sole member of its genus within the Malinae subtribe. That singular position, combined with its powerful aroma and ancient history, sets it apart from other pome fruits.
More in Edible Fruits And Nuts 1-17
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