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Article 15. A Touch of Quince

They dined on mince and slices of quince
which they ate with a runcible spoon…. (The Owl and the Pussycat)

Quince – a lovely fruit with an intriguing flavour, was once the golden apple of mythology and poetry, having been cultivated for at least 4,000 years. The quince tree has a prominent place in Asian art. The ancient Greeks revered the fruit as a fertility symbol. The golden apple, awarded by Paris to Aphrodite, was actually a quince. And rumour has it that Eve in biblical Eden tempted Adam with no ordinary apple, but quince! Medieval Europeans considered quinces a royal treat, turning them into a thick jam called marmalade, a name derived from marmelo, the Portuguese word for quince.

In the western hemisphere, Quince is grown in temperate regions in Canada (British Columbia), California and some regions in Latin America. A member of the apple family, its shape and colour are a cross between a golden delicious apple and a clumsy pear. It is the one fruit we know of that shouldn’t be eaten raw because of its texture (spongy) and taste (a little bitter and a little sour). However, cooking transforms it into something utterly delicious with a flavour that can best be described as elegant, vaguely reminiscent of guava.

Quince lends itself beautifully to stewing and poaching, also to stuffings and cobblers but above all to jellies. Add some quince to an ordinary apple pie, thereby transforming it into an extraordinary pie. Very rich in pectin that sets jams and jellies, the fruit also contains much fiber, vitamin C and some potassium.

Peel the fruit, since in all likelihood it is sprayed with chemicals. Surrounding the core is a layer of hard, grainy substance, almost a shell, which should be discarded. Quinces blend their flavour beautifully with pears and apples.

Edith Carter

 

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