Photography: volff - Fotolia.com

A hundred years ago “the beauty of the orient” was still available at all of the markets in Central Europe. It has become rare today, because the year-round availability especially of fresh apples has replaced it.

Its hard fruit pulp must be cooked prior to consumption and cannot be bitten into spontaneously – a drawback in the fast-moving world of today.

The quince originated in the Caucasus and in present-day Iran. Its Latin name, Cydonia oblonga, derives from the ancient city of Kydonia, the modern-day Chania, on the island of Crete. This is where it was probably first cultivated in Europe.

Like apple and pear trees, the low quince tree, which often grows like a shrub, belongs to the pomes (rose family). The Chinese refer to the colour of its flowers as “the rosy clouds of dusk”; its fruit, which can weigh up to 1,000 grammes, produce a fuzzy skin that becomes smoother with increasing maturity.

There are approximately 200 different varieties in the world, six of which are available in Germany. For simplicity’s sake, they are divided into “apple quince” and “pear quince”: Apple quince have more pit cells and thus a harder fruit pulp while being more aromatic than the softer, more popular pear quince. Both are easily mistaken for ornamental quince (Chaenomeles), the fruit of which is barely edible.

Quince contains minerals, tannins and fibre, vitamins and fruit acids – and lots of pectin in the skin, which is why this fruit is predominantly made into jelly.

Quince can be stored for approx. eight weeks in a cool, ventilated place, but bruising should be avoided, because the fruit may otherwise easily start to spoil. And to preserve their typical aroma you should never store them along with other fruit.