Quince

Cydonia oblonga

COMMON NAMES

• Quince

Quince - small deciduous tree or shrub to 3m (9ft). Quince is much branched and similar in appearance to the pear and apple, with large, solitary white to pink flowers. The fruit is very fragrant, golden in color, and round or pear-shaped.

The quince has been in cultivation since the earliest times, and was well known to the ancient Greeks. The botanical name Cydonia refers to Cydon on the island of Crete, the source of the best variety of quince trees. The common name is derived from quints, the plural of the old French name for the fruit. Historically, quinces are thought to be the golden apples referred to in classical literature and Greek mythology, since oranges were unknown in Greece and Italy until the time of the Crusades. The quince was the sacred fruit of Aphrodite, or Venus, and statues often depict her holding a fruit in her right hand. This is a reference to the coveted 'golden apple' awarded to her by Paris in recognition of her beauty. As a symbol of the love goddess, a single quince was traditionally eaten by the bride and bridegroom at the marriage ceremony to promote harmony and happiness. This custom survived into the Middle Ages when quinces were presented as tokens of love, and eaten at wedding breakfasts 'to be a preparative of sweet and delightful days between the married persons'.

Hotter climates are said to produce sweeter and juicier quinces than cooler countries, where quinces tend to be very tart and rather fibrous in texture. English quinces require boiling, sweetening, and sometimes straining, and are almost always turned into jelly and marmalade.

Medicinally, the quince was highly esteemed by the Roman historian Pliny, and was known in Shakespearean England as 'the stomach's comforter'. The fruit is astringent, and a syrup was once employed for diarrhea but today, the seeds are the only part of the quince that is used by herbalists. These swell up in water and are employed for their gentle laxative properties, in the same manner as linseed or psyllium. Like the fruits, the seeds are also astringent and may be helpful for inflammations and soreness in the mouth.

The quince is related to the Japanese quince japonica, or Chaenomeles japonica. It is a popular garden ornamental but rarely produces fruit in cooler climates.

HABITAT AND CULTIVATION

Quince is native to Iran, Turkey and parts of Greece. Quince is widely cultivated in the Near East, and introduced and cultivated in tropical America and warm climates, including the Mediterranean and southern Europe.

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