Lawrence described as an “exquisite odour of
leave-taking.”
Loquat Loquats bear little resemblance to
their cousin pomes. They are small, elongated
fruits of a Chinese tree, Eriobotrya japonica,
which was greatly improved by the Japanese
and taken to many subtropical regions in the
19th century, notably Sicily, where they are
called nespole. They usually ripen early,
before cherries. They have a mild, delicate
flavor and a wall of carotenoid-containing
flesh that runs from white to orange,
surrounding several large seeds. U.S. varieties
are mainly ornamental and produce small
fruit, while European and Asian fruits may
approach a half pound/250 gm. They’re eaten
fresh, made into jellies and jams, and cooked
in a spicy syrup in the manner of “pickled”
peaches. Loquats are neither climacteric nor
chill-sensitive, and so keep well.
Stone Fruits: Apricot, Cherry,