Quince
Scientific Name: Cydonica oblonga, Cydonia vulgaris
Family Name:
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The many varieties of Quince (Cydonia oblonga or Cydonia vulgaris) obtained over the centuries appear to be derived from a form native to Iran and the Caspian regions, where it is still found in the wild state. This theory is supported by the fact that the cultivated plants growing there have a moderately edible fruit with a sweetish flavor. In spite of the most advanced techniques of modern agriculture, in the areas of southern Europe where the quince is cultivated it is still not edible fresh but must be cooked a fairly long time. The cultivated varieties can be dived into two groups: to the first belong the cultivars producing round fruits; to the second, those producing oblong fruits. The varieties belonging to the first group are generally chosen for commercial purposes such as confectionery, preserves and jams because they are better suited for processing. The most common varieties are: Angers, very hardy with large fruits; Fontenay, smaller than Angers; Portugal, perhaps the best variety, with large golden-yellow fruits; Vrania, native to Serbia with large, irregularly shaped fruits, and Orange, originating in Armenia, which is very good for industrial processing. In Italy the quince is widely cultivated in the south, where delicious cotognate or quince marmalade (from cotogna=quince) is made. Its golden-yellow flesh is acid, hard and rather unpalatable, but when cooked and sweetened can be made into various kinds of preserves and jams, either alone or mixed with other fruits, such as apples and pears. [Bianchini, Francesco, Corbetta, Francesco, Pistoia, Marilena, The Complete Book of Fruits and Vegetables, United States Translation: Crown Publishers, New York, 1976; Originally published in Italy as I Frutti della Terra, Arnoldo Mondadori Publisher, Italy, 1973]