Jump to content

Quince: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Content deleted Content added
mNo edit summary
 
(221 intermediate revisions by more than 100 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Flowering plant and fruit}}
{{distinguish-otheruses|quints|Quince (disambiguation)}}
{{Other uses}}
{{more citations needed|date=May 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{stack begin}}
{{Speciesbox
{{Speciesbox
| image = Pancrace Bessa00.jpg
| image = Pancrace Bessa00.jpg
| image_caption = ''Cydonia oblonga'' fruit and tree
| image_caption = Fruit and tree illustration by [[Pancrace Bessa]], before 1835
| display_parents = 4
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Cydonia
| status_ref = <ref name=iucn>{{Cite iucn |title=''Cydonia oblonga'' |last=Plummer |first=J. |page= e.T61611928A61611931 |date=2021 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T61611928A61611931.en |access-date=25 January 2024}}</ref>
| display_parents = 4
| genus = Cydonia
| parent_authority = [[Philip Miller|Mill.]]
| parent_authority = [[Philip Miller|Mill.]]
| species = oblonga
| species = oblonga
| authority = Mill.
| authority = Mill.
| synonyms = ''C. vulgaris''
| synonyms = ''C. vulgaris''
}}
}}
{{stack end}}


The '''quince''' ({{IPAc-en|'|k|w|ɪ|n|s}}; ''Cydonia oblonga'') is the sole member of the [[genus]] '''''Cydonia''''' in the [[family (biology)|family]] [[Rosaceae]] (which also contains [[apples]] and [[pear]]s, among other fruits). It is a [[deciduous]] [[tree]] that bears a [[pome]] [[fruit]], similar in appearance to a pear, and bright golden-yellow when mature. Throughout history the cooked fruit has been used as food, but the tree is also grown for its attractive pale pink blossoms and other ornamental qualities.
The '''quince''' ({{IPAc-en|'|k|w|ɪ|n|s}}; '''''Cydonia oblonga''''') is the sole member of the [[genus]] '''''Cydonia''''' in the [[Malinae]] subtribe (which contains apples, pears, and other fruits) of the [[Rosaceae]] [[family (biology)|family]]. It is a [[deciduous]] tree that bears hard, aromatic bright golden-yellow [[pome]] fruit, similar in appearance to a pear. Ripe quince fruits are hard, tart, and astringent. They are eaten raw or processed into jam, [[quince cheese]], or alcoholic drinks.


The quince tree is sometimes grown as an [[ornamental plant]] for its attractive pale pink blossoms and as a miniature [[bonsai]] plant. In ancient Greece, the word for quince was used slightly ribaldly to signify teenage breasts.
==Description==
[[File:Quince (10928s).jpg|thumb|left|Halved quince, with seeds and [[food browning|oxidation]] visible]]
The tree grows {{convert|5|to|8|m|abbr=on}} high and {{convert|4|to|6|m|abbr=on}} wide. The fruit is {{convert|7|to|12|cm|abbr=on|0}} long and {{convert|6|to|9|cm|abbr=on|0}} across.


== Description ==
The immature fruit is green with dense grey-white fine hair, most of which rubs off before maturity in late autumn when the fruit changes color to yellow with hard, strongly perfumed flesh. The [[leaf|leaves]] are alternately arranged, simple, {{convert|6|-|11|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} long, with an entire margin and densely pubescent with fine white hairs. The [[flower]]s, produced in spring after the leaves, are white or pink, {{convert|5|cm|in|abbr=on|0}} across, with five petals.


Quinces are shrubs or small trees up to {{convert|4|to|6|m|ft|0|abbr=off}} high and {{convert|3|to|4.5|m|ft|0|abbr=off}} wide. Young twigs are covered in a grey down.<ref name="FAO view crop">{{cite web |title=View crop: Cydonia oblonga |url=https://ecocrop.apps.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/cropView?id=5117 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization |access-date=2 November 2024}}</ref> The leaves are oval, and are downy on the underside. The solitary flowers, produced in late spring after the leaves, are white or pink.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cydonia oblonga (F): quince |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/5160/cydonia-oblonga-(f)/details |publisher=[[Royal Horticultural Society]] |access-date=2 November 2024}}</ref>
The seeds contain [[nitrile]]s, which are common in the seeds of [[Rosaceae|the rose family]]. In the stomach, enzymes or stomach acid or both cause some of the nitriles to be [[hydrolysis reaction|hydrolyzed]] and produce [[hydrogen cyanide]], which is a volatile gas. The seeds are only likely to be toxic if a large quantity is eaten.<ref name=pfaf>{{cite web|url=http://www.pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cydonia%20oblonga|title=Cydonia oblonga Quince PFAF Plant Database|work=pfaf.org}}</ref>


The ripe fruit is aromatic but remains hard; gritty [[Ground tissue#Sclereids|stone cells]] are dispersed through the flesh.<ref name="FAO view crop"/> It is larger than many apples, weighing as much as {{convert|1|kg|lb}}, often pear-shaped but sometimes roughly spherical.<ref name="FAO view crop"/>
==Taxonomy==
Four other species previously included in the genus ''Cydonia'' are now treated in separate [[genera]]. These are ''[[Pseudocydonia|Pseudocydonia sinensis]]'' and the three flowering quinces of eastern Asia in the genus ''Chaenomeles''. Another unrelated fruit, the [[bael]], is sometimes called the "Bengal quince".


The seeds contain [[nitrile]]s, common in the seeds of [[Rosaceae|the rose family]]. In the stomach, enzymes or stomach acid or both cause some of the nitriles to be [[hydrolysis reaction|hydrolysed]] and produce toxic [[hydrogen cyanide]], which is a volatile gas. The seeds are toxic only if eaten in large quantities.<ref name=pfaf>{{cite web |url=https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Cydonia%20oblonga |title=Cydonia oblonga Quince |publisher=Plants For A Future}}</ref>
The modern name originated in the 14th century as a plural of ''quoyn'', via [[Old French]] ''cooin'' from [[Latin]] ''cotoneum malum'' / ''cydonium malum'', ultimately from [[Classical Greek language|Greek]] κυδώνιον μῆλον, ''kydonion melon'' "[[Kydonia]]n apple".


<gallery mode=packed>
''Cydonia'' is included in the subfamily [[Amygdaloideae]].<ref name=Potter>Potter, D., et al. (2007). Phylogeny and classification of Rosaceae. ''Plant Systematics and Evolution''. 266(1–2): 5–43. <nowiki>[Referring to the subfamily by the name "Spiraeoideae"]</nowiki></ref>
File:A quince flower.jpg|Flower
File:Cydonia.jpg|Foliage and ripening fruit
</gallery>


== History ==
== Distribution and habitat ==


Quince is [[native species|native]] to the [[Hyrcanian forests]] south of the [[Caspian Sea]].<ref name="Zohary">{{cite book |last1=Zohary |first1=Daniel |last2=Hopf |first2=Maria |last3=Weiss |first3=Ehud |title=Domestication of Plants in the Old World: The Origin and Spread of Domesticated Plants in Southwest Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean Basin |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2012 |isbn=978-0-19-954906-1 |page=144}}</ref><ref name="Brickell">{{cite book |last=Brickell |first=Christopher |title=A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants |year=2008 |publisher=[[Dorling Kindersley]] |location=London |isbn=978-1405332965 |page=1136}}</ref> From that centre of origin it was spread radially by Neolithic farmers, {{circa}} 5000 to 3000 BC, to secondary centres including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria. In turn, landraces of quince were then distributed across Europe, Russia, China, India, and North Africa. It reached Britain in the 16th century. Settlers brought it to North America in the 17th century, and to Central and South America in the 18th century.<ref name="Abdollahi 2021"/>
[[File:Quince (10889s).jpg|thumb|Commercially grown quince]]
[[File:Cydonia.jpg|thumb|right|Quince foliage and ripening fruit]]
[[File:Quince flowers.jpg|thumb|right|Quince flowers]]
[[File:Quince nursery (seedlings was grafted).jpg|thumb|right|Quince nursery]]


The fruit was known in the [[Akkadian language]] as ''supurgillu''; "quinces" (collective [[plural]]),<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/cuneiform.languages/dictionary/dosearch.php?searchkey=2853&language=id |first=Olivier |last=Lauffenburger |year=2006 |website=The Hittite Grammar Homepage, Akkadian Dictionary |title=supurgillu |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927214002/http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/cuneiform.languages/dictionary/dosearch.php?searchkey=2853&language=id |archive-date=2007-09-27 |via=premiumwanadoo.com}}</ref> which was borrowed into [[Aramaic]] as {{lang|arc|ספרגלין}} ''sparglin''; it was known in [[Judea]] during the [[Mishnaic Hebrew]] as {{lang|hbo|פרישין}} ''prishin'' (a loanword from [[Jewish Palestinian Aramaic]] {{lang|jpa|פרישין}} "the miraculous [fruit]");<ref>{{cite book |author=Maimonides |author-link=Maimonides |title=Mishnah commentary to tractate Uksin |chapter=1:6 |edition=original Judeo-Arabic אלספרג׳ל ([[Mossad HaRav Kook]] |place=Jerusalem |year=1967}}</ref> quince flourished in the heat of the [[Mesopotamia]]n plain, where apples did not. It was cultivated from an archaic period around the [[Mediterranean]]. Some ancients called the fruit "[[golden apple]]s".<ref name="Lyle">{{Cite book |last=Lyle |first=Katie Letcher |title=The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them |publisher=[[FalconGuides]] |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-59921-887-8 |edition=2nd |location=Guilford, Connecticut |pages=110 |oclc=560560606 |orig-year=first published 2004}}</ref>
Quince is [[native plant|native]] to rocky slopes and woodland margins in [[Western Asia]], [[Armenia]], [[Turkey]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], northern [[Iran]] to [[Afghanistan]],<ref>Daniel Zohary, Maria Hopf, ''Domestication of Plants in the Old World: The Origin and Spread of Cultivated Plants in West Asia, Europe, and the Nile Valley,'' Oxford University Press, 2000</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants|year=2008|publisher=Dorling Kindersley|location=United Kingdom|isbn=1405332964|page=1136}}</ref> although it thrives in a variety of climates and can be grown successfully at latitudes as far north as Scotland. It should not be confused with its relatives, the Chinese quince, ''[[Pseudocydonia sinensis]]'', or the flowering quinces of genus ''[[Chaenomeles]]'', either of which is sometimes used as a culinary substitute.


The Greeks associated it with [[Kydonia]] on [[Crete]], as the "Cydonian [[pome]]", and [[Theophrastus]], in his ''Enquiry into Plants'', noted that quince was one of many fruiting plants that do not come true from seed.<ref>{{cite book |author=Theophrastus |author-link=Theophrastus |chapter=Quince produces wild quince |title=Enquiry |number=ii.2.5}}</ref>
== History==
The fruit was known to the [[Akkadian Empire|Akkad]]ians, who called it ''supurgillu''; Arabic سفرجل ''al safarjal'' "quinces" (collective [[plural]]),<ref>[http://www.premiumwanadoo.com/cuneiform.languages/dictionary/dosearch.php?searchkey=2853&language=id Olivier Lauffenburger, 2006. The Hittite Grammar Homepage, Akkadian dictionary, entry for supurgillu]</ref> as well as in Judea of Israel during the [[Mishna]]ic era where it was called “Perishin” (פרישין collective plural, or sing. “Prish”);<ref>[[Maimonides]], [[Mishnah]] commentary to tractate Uksin, ch. 1:6, in the original Judeo-Arabic אלספרג׳ל ([[Mossad HaRav Kook]] edition, Jerusalem 1967)</ref> quince flourished in the heat of the Mesopotamian plain, where apples did not. It was cultivated from an archaic period around the Mediterranean. The Greeks associated it with [[Kydonia|Cydonia]] on Crete, as the "Cydonian [[Pome (botany)|pome]]", and [[Theophrastus]], in his ''Enquiry into Plants'', noted that quince was one of many fruiting plants that do not come true from seed.<ref>Theophrastus: "Quince produces wild quince" ''Enquiry'' ii.2.5</ref> As a sacred emblem of [[Aphrodite]], a quince figured in a lost poem of [[Callimachus]] that survives in a prose epitome: seeing his beloved in the courtyard of the temple of Aphrodite, Acontius plucks a quince from the "orchard of Aphrodite", inscribes its skin and furtively rolls it at the feet of her illiterate nurse, whose curiosity aroused, hands it to the girl to read aloud, and the girl finds herself saying "I swear by Aphrodite that I will marry Acontius". A vow thus spoken in the goddess's ''[[temenos]]'' cannot be broken.<ref>Marilyn B. Skinner, ''Catullus in Verona: a Reading of the Elegiac Libellus'' 2003, "Carmina Battiadae" pp 15ff.</ref> [[Pliny the Elder]] mentions "numerous varieties" of quince in his ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'' and describes four.<ref>[http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D15%3Achapter%3D10 ''Natural History'' xv.10.11 ].</ref> The season of ripe quinces is brief: the Roman cookbook ''[[De re coquinaria]]'' of "[[Apicius]]" specifies in attempting to keep quinces, to select perfect unbruised fruits and keep stems and leaves intact, submerged in honey and reduced wine.<ref>[http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Apicius/1*.html LacusCurtius: Apicius, I.21].</ref>


As a sacred emblem of [[Aphrodite]], a quince figured in a lost poem of [[Callimachus]] that survives in a prose epitome: seeing his beloved in the courtyard of the temple of Aphrodite, Acontius plucks a quince from the "orchard of Aphrodite", inscribes its skin and furtively rolls it at the feet of her illiterate nurse, whose curiosity aroused, hands it to the girl to read aloud, and the girl finds herself saying "I swear by Aphrodite that I will marry [[Acontius]]". A vow thus spoken in the goddess's ''[[temenos]]'' cannot be broken.<ref name="Skinner">{{cite book |first=Marilyn B. |last=Skinner |title=Catullus in Verona: a Reading of the Elegiac Libellus |year=2003 |chapter=Carmina Battiadae |pages=15ff |publisher=[[Ohio State University Press]] |location=Columbus |isbn=978-0-8142-0937-0}}</ref> [[Pliny the Elder]] mentions "numerous varieties" of quince in his ''[[Natural History (Pliny)|Natural History]]'' and describes four.<ref>{{cite book |author=Pliny the Elder |author-link=Pliny the Elder |url=https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.0137%3Abook%3D15%3Achapter%3D10 |title=Natural History |pages=xv.10.11}}</ref>
== Pests and diseases ==


Quinces are ripe on the tree only briefly: the Roman cookbook ''De re coquinaria'' of [[Apicius]] specifies in attempting to keep quinces, to select perfect unbruised fruits and keep stems and leaves intact, submerged in honey and reduced wine.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Apicius/1*.html |author=Lacus Curtius |author-link=Lacus Curtius |title=Apicius |number=I.21}}</ref>
Quince is used as a food plant by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including [[brown-tail]], ''[[Bucculatricidae|Bucculatrix bechsteinella]]'', ''[[Bucculatricidae|Bucculatrix pomifoliella]]'', ''[[Coleophora|Coleophora cerasivorella]]'', ''[[Coleophora|Coleophora malivorella]]'', [[green pug]] and [[winter moth]].


=== Taxonomy ===
While quince is a hardy shrub, it may develop fungal diseases in hot weather, resulting in premature leaf fall.<ref name=Cumo2013/> [[Quince leaf blight]], caused by fungus ''Diplocarpon mespili'', presents a threat in wet summers, causing severe leaf spotting and early defoliation, also affecting fruit to a lesser extent. It may also affect other Rosaceae plants such as [[Crataegus|hawthorn]] and [[medlar]], but is typically less damaging than on quince.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=745 |title=Quince leaf blight |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |year=2016 |access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref> Cedar-quince rust, caused by ''[[Gymnosporangium clavipes]]'', requires two hosts to complete the fungal lifecycle, one being a cedar (most commonly a juniper, ''[[Juniperus virginiana]]'') and the other a rosacea. Appearing as red excrescence on various parts of the plant, it may affect quinces grown in vicinity of junipers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/diseases/rusts/cedar-quince-rust.aspx |title=Cedar-Quince Rust |publisher=RMissouri Botanical Garden |year=2016 |access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref>

''Cydonia'' is in the subfamily [[Amygdaloideae]].<ref name=Potter>{{cite journal|doi=10.1007/s00606-007-0539-9 |title=Phylogeny and classification of Rosaceae |year=2007 |last1=Potter |first1=D. |last2=Eriksson |first2=T. |last3=Evans |first3=R. C. |last4=Oh |first4=S. |last5=Smedmark |first5=J. E. E. |last6=Morgan |first6=D. R. |last7=Kerr |first7=M. |last8=Robertson |first8=K. R. |last9=Arsenault |first9=M. |last10=Dickinson |first10=T. A. |last11=Campbell |first11=C. S. |display-authors=3 |journal=Plant Systematics and Evolution |volume=266 |issue=1–2 |pages=5–43 |bibcode=2007PSyEv.266....5P |s2cid=16578516 |url=http://biology.umaine.edu/Amelanchier/Rosaceae_2007.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002071134/http://biology.umaine.edu/Amelanchier/Rosaceae_2007.pdf |archive-date=2011-10-02 }} [It names the subfamily as "Spiraeoideae"].</ref>

The modern name originated in the 14th century as a plural of ''quoyn'', via [[Old French]] ''cooin'' from [[Latin]] ''cotoneum malum'' / ''cydonium malum'', ultimately from [[Classical Greek language|Greek]] κυδώνιον μῆλον, ''kydonion melon'' "[[Kydonia]]n apple".


== Cultivation ==
== Cultivation ==
Quince is a hardy, drought-tolerant shrub which adapts to many soils of low to medium [[pH]]. It tolerates both shade and sun, but sunlight is required in order to produce larger flowers and ensure fruit ripening. It is an incredibly tough plant that does not require much maintenance, and tolerates years without pruning or major insect and disease problems.<ref name=Cumo2013/>


Quince is a hardy, drought-tolerant shrub which adapts to many soils of low to medium [[pH]]. It tolerates both shade and sun, but sunlight is required to produce larger flowers and ensure fruit ripening. It is a hardy plant that does not require much maintenance, and tolerates years without pruning or major insect and disease problems.<ref name="Carlton"/>
Quince is cultivated on all continents in warm-temperate and temperate climates. It requires a cooler period of the year, with temperatures under {{convert|7|C}}, to flower properly. Propagation is done by [[cutting (plant)|cutting]]s or [[layering]]; the former method produces better plants, but they take longer to mature than by the latter. Named cultivars are propagated by cuttings or layers [[grafted]] on quince [[rootstock]]. Propagation by seed is not used commercially. Quince forms thick bushes, which must be pruned and reduced into a single stem in order to grow fruit-bearing trees for commercial use. The tree is [[self-pollination|self-pollinated]], but it produces better yields when [[cross-pollination|cross-pollinated]].<ref name=Cumo2013/>


Quince is cultivated on all continents in warm-temperate and temperate climates. It requires a cooler period of the year, with temperatures under {{convert|7|C}}, to flower properly. Propagation is done by [[cutting (plant)|cutting]]s or [[layering]]; the former method produces better plants, but they take longer to mature than by the latter. Named cultivars are propagated by cuttings or layers [[grafted]] on quince [[rootstock]]. Propagation by seed is not used commercially. Quince forms thick bushes, which must be pruned and reduced into a single stem to grow fruit-bearing trees for commercial use. The tree is [[self-pollination|self-pollinated]], but it produces better yields when [[cross-pollination|cross-pollinated]].<ref name="Carlton"/>
Fruits are typically left on the tree to ripen fully. In warmer climates, it may become soft to the point of being edible, but additional ripening may be required in cooler climates. They are harvested in late autumn, before first frosts.<ref name=Cumo2013/>


Fruits are typically left on the tree to ripen fully. In warmer climates, it may become soft to the point of being edible, but additional ripening may be required in cooler climates. They are harvested in late autumn, before first frosts.<ref name="Carlton"/> Quince is used as rootstock for certain pear cultivars.<ref name="Carlton"/>
Quince is also used as rootstock for certain [[pear]] cultivars.<ref name=Cumo2013/> The resultant [[Chimera (genetics)|chimera]] is called + ''Pirocydonia danielii''.


In Europe, quinces are commonly grown in central and southern areas where the summers are sufficiently hot for the fruit to fully ripen. They are not grown in large amounts; typically one or two quince trees are grown in a mixed orchard with several apples and other fruit trees. In the 18th-century New England colonies, for example, there was always a quince at the lower corner of the vegetable garden, Ann Leighton notes in records of [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] and [[Newburyport, Massachusetts]].<ref>Leighton 1986:243.</ref> [[Charlemagne]] directed that quinces be planted in well-stocked orchards. Quinces in England are first recorded in about 1275, when Edward I had some planted at the Tower of London.<ref name=hughfearnleywhittingstall>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/oct/07/quince-recipes-hugh-fearnley-whittingstall|title=Quince recipes - Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall|author=Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall|work=the Guardian}}</ref>
In Europe, quinces are commonly grown in central and southern areas where the summers are sufficiently hot for the fruit to fully ripen. They are not grown in large amounts; typically one or two quince trees are grown in a mixed orchard with several apples and other fruit trees. In the 18th-century New England colonies, for example, there was always a quince at the lower corner of the vegetable garden, Ann Leighton notes in records of [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]] and [[Newburyport, Massachusetts]].<ref name="Leighton">{{cite book |last=Leighton |first=Ann |title=American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century: "For Use Or for Delight" |date=1986 |orig-year=first published 1976 |publisher=University of Massachusetts Press |location=Amherst |isbn=978-0-8702-3531-3 |url=https://archive.org/details/americangardensi0000leig/mode/1up |url-access=registration}}</ref>{{rp|243}} [[Charlemagne]] directed that quinces be planted in well-stocked orchards. Quinces in England are first recorded in about 1275, when Edward I had some planted at the Tower of London.<ref name= hughfearnleywhittingstall>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/oct/07/quince-recipes-hugh-fearnley-whittingstall |title=Quince recipes |first=Hugh |last=Fearnley-Whittingstall |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=7 October 2011}}</ref>


<gallery mode=packed heights=150>
== Cultivars ==
File:Quince nursery (seedlings was grafted).jpg|Quince nursery
File:Quince in Fergana.jpg|Fruits in tree
</gallery>

=== Pests and diseases ===

Quince is subject to a variety of pest insects including [[aphid]]s, [[scale insect]]s, [[mealybug]]s, and moth caterpillars such as [[leafroller]]s (Tortricidae) and [[codling moth]]s.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Waterworth |first1=Kristi |title=Common Pests Of Quince Trees – Tips On Treating Quince Tree Pests |url=https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/fruits/quince/treating-quince-tree-pests.htm |website=Gardening Know How |access-date=2 November 2024 |date=5 April 2021}}</ref>

While quince is a hardy shrub, it may develop fungal diseases in hot weather, resulting in premature leaf fall.<ref name="Carlton"/> [[Quince leaf blight]], caused by fungus ''[[Diplocarpon mespili]]'', presents a threat in wet summers, causing severe leaf spotting and early defoliation, affecting fruit to a lesser extent.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=745 |title=Quince leaf blight |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |year=2016 |access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref> Cedar-quince rust, caused by ''[[Gymnosporangium clavipes]]'', requires two hosts to complete its life cycle, one usually a [[juniper]], and the other a member of the [[Rosaceae]]. Appearing as red excrescence on various parts of the plant, it may affect quinces grown near junipers.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/gardens-gardening/your-garden/help-for-the-home-gardener/advice-tips-resources/pests-and-problems/diseases/rusts/cedar-quince-rust.aspx |title=Cedar-Quince Rust |publisher=[[Missouri Botanical Garden]] |year=2016 |access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref>

=== Production ===

{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear:left; width:16em; text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan=2|Quince production – 2021
|-
! style="background:#ddf; width:75%;"| Country
! style="background:#ddf; width:25%;"| <small>([[tonne]]s)</small>
|-
|{{TUR}} || 192,012
|-
|{{CHN}} || 111,377
|-
|{{UZB}} || 97,536
|-
|{{IRN}} || 90,564
|-
|{{MAR}} || 54,641
|-
|'''World''' || '''697,563'''
|-
|colspan=2 | <small>Source: UN FAOSTAT<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC |title=Quince production in 2021; Crops/World regions/Production total from picklists |publisher=UN [[Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database]] |date=2023 |access-date=12 August 2023}}</ref></small>
|}

In 2021, world production of quinces was 697,563 tonnes, with [[Turkey]] and China accounting for 43% of the world total (table).

=== Cultivars ===

Quince cultivars include:<ref name=agroforestry>{{cite web |url=http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/ansample.html |title=Agroforestry news quince cydonia oblonga |work=agroforestry.co.uk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061006012246/http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/ansample.html |archive-date=6 October 2006}}</ref>


{|
{|
|- valign=top
|- valign=top
|
|
*'Aromatnaya'
*'Bereczki'
*'Champion'
*'Champion'
*'Cooke's Jumbo' (syn. 'Jumbo')
*'Cooke's Jumbo' (syn. 'Jumbo')
*'Dwarf Orange'
*'Dwarf Orange'
*'Gamboa'
*'Gamboa'
*'Iranian'
*'kashmiri Bumm tchoont'
*'Isfahan'
|
*'Le Bourgeaut'
*'Le Bourgeaut'
*'Lescovacz'
*'Lescovacz'
|
*'Ludovic'
*'Ludovic'
*'Maliformis'
*'Maliformis'
Line 86: Line 121:
*'Pineapple'
*'Pineapple'
*'Portugal' (syn. 'Lusitanica')
*'Portugal' (syn. 'Lusitanica')
*'Shams'
*'Siebosa'
*'Siebosa'
*'Smyrna'
*'Smyrna'
*'Van Deman'
*'Van Deman'
*'Vranja' (syn. 'Bereczki')
*'Vrajna' (syn. 'Bereczki')<ref name=agroforestry>{{cite web|url=http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/ansample.html|title=Agroforestry news quince cydonia oblonga|work=agroforestry.co.uk|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061006012246/http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/ansample.html|archivedate=2006-10-06}}</ref>
|}
|}


The [[cultivar]]s 'Vranja' Nenadovic and 'Serbian Gold' have gained the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]'s [[Award of Garden Merit]].<ref>{{cite web |title=''Cydonia oblonga'' 'Vranja' Nenadovic |url=http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=5872 |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517012148/http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=5872 |access-date=22 July 2013| archive-date=2013-05-17 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Cydonia oblonga'' 'Serbian Gold' (F) |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/269024/cydonia-oblonga-serbian-gold-(f)/details |access-date=2023-07-22 |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable" style="float:right; clear:left; width:18em;"
! colspan=2|Quince production – 2017
|-
! style="background:#ddf; width:75%;"| Country
! style="background:#ddf; width:25%;"| <small>[[tonne]]s</small>
|-
|<center>{{TUR}}</center> || <center> 174,038</center>
|-
|<center>{{CHN}}</center> || <center> 112,783</center>
|-
|<center>{{UZB}}</center> || <center> 109,516</center>
|-
|<center>{{IRN}}</center> || <center> 78,777</center>
|-
|<center>{{MAR}}</center> || <center> 45,746</center>
|-
|<center>{{AZE}}</center> || <center> 29,602</center>
|-
|<center>'''World'''</center>|| '''692,262'''
|-
|colspan=2|
<center><small>Source: UN FAOSTAT<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC|title=Quince production in 2017; Crops/World regions/Production total from picklists|publisher=UN [[Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database]]|date=2018|accessdate=19 May 2019}}</ref></small></center>
|}
The [[cultivar]] 'Vranja' Nenadovic has gained the [[Royal Horticultural Society]]'s [[Award of Garden Merit]].<ref>{{cite web|title=''Cydonia oblonga'' 'Vranja' Nenadovic|url=http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=5872|publisher=Royal Horticultural Society|accessdate=22 July 2013}}</ref>


<gallery mode=packed heights=150>
== Production ==
File:Quinces skin closeup.JPG|Russian 'Aromatnaya' quinces
In 2017, world production of quinces was 692,262 tonnes, led by [[Turkey]] and [[China]] combined with 41% of the world total (table).
File:Reife Konstantinopeler Quitten aus dem Vogelsberg.jpg|Ripe Constantinople apple quinces from the [[Vogelsberg Mountains|Vogelsberg]]
</gallery>


== Uses ==
== Uses ==

=== Nutrition ===

{{Infobox nutritional value
{{Infobox nutritional value
| name=Quinces, raw
| name=Quinces, raw
Line 129: Line 145:
| fat=0.1 g
| fat=0.1 g
| carbs=15.3 g
| carbs=15.3 g
| fiber=1.9 g
| fibre=1.9 g
| calcium_mg=11
| calcium_mg=11
| iron_mg=0.7
| iron_mg=0.7
Line 145: Line 161:
| folate_ug=3
| folate_ug=3
| source_usda = 1
| source_usda = 1
| note=[http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list?qlookup=09296&format=Full Link to USDA Database entry]
| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/168163/nutrients=Full Link to USDA FoodData Central Database entry]
}}
}}
Quinces are appreciated for their intense aroma, flavor, and tartness. However, most varieties of quince are too hard and tart to be eaten raw; even ripe fruits should be subjected to [[bletting]] by frost or decay to be suitable for consumption. However, they may be cooked or roasted and used for jams, marmalade, jellies, or pudding.<ref name=Cumo2013/>


A raw quince is 84% water, 15% [[carbohydrate]]s, and contains negligible fat and [[protein]] (table). In a {{convert|100|g|oz|frac=2|abbr=off|adj=on}} reference amount, the fruit provides {{convert|238|kJ|kcal|abbr=off}} of [[food energy]] and a moderate amount of [[vitamin C]] (18% of the [[Daily Value]]), with no other [[micronutrient]]s in significant percentage of the Daily Value (table).
=== As food ===
Some varieties of quince, such as 'Aromatnaya' and 'Kuganskaya' do not require cooking and can be eaten raw.<ref>USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). [Online Database] National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. Available: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/search.pl?accid=%20CCYD+131 (20 February 2011)</ref> However, most varieties of quince are too hard, [[astringent]] and sour to eat raw unless "[[bletting|bletted]]" (softened by [[frost]] and subsequent decay).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_quince.htm|title=Quince|work=herbs2000.com}}</ref> High in [[pectin]], they are used to make [[jam]], [[Jelly (fruit preserves)|jelly]] and quince [[pudding]], or they may be peeled, then roasted, baked or stewed; pectin levels diminish as the fruit ripens.<ref>Alexander, S. The cook's companion. Penguin Australia. P.609</ref> The flesh of the fruit turns red after a long cooking with sugar by formation of anthocyanins.<ref>"On Food and Cooking" 2004 H. McGee, Hodder & Stoughton P357</ref> The very strong perfume means they can be added in small quantities to apple pies and jam to enhance the flavor. Adding a diced quince to apple sauce will enhance the taste of the apple sauce with the chunks of relatively firm, tart quince. The term "[[marmalade]]", originally meaning a quince jam, derives from ''[[wikt:marmelo|marmelo]]'', the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] word for this fruit.<ref>Wilson, C. Anne. ''The Book of Marmalade: Its Antecedents, Its History and Its Role in the World Today (Together with a Collection of Recipes for Marmalades and Marmalade Cookery)'', University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia. Revised Edition 1999. {{ISBN|0-8122-1727-6}}</ref><ref>"Marmalade" in Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper apud [http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/marmalade Dictionary.com]</ref><ref name="AO">{{cite web |last1=Ferraz |first1=Rafaela |title=Why Portugal’s Marmelada Tastes Nothing Like Marmalade |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-marmelada? |website=Gastro Obscura |publisher=Atlas Obscura |accessdate=8 December 2018 |date=5 December 2018}}</ref>


=== Culinary use ===
[[File:Dulce de Membrillo.jpg|thumb|Quince cheese]]


Quinces are appreciated for their intense aroma, flavour, and tartness. However, most varieties are too hard and tart to be eaten raw. They may be cooked or roasted and used for jams, marmalade, jellies, or pudding.<ref name="Carlton"/> A few varieties, such as 'Aromatnaya' and 'Kuganskaya', can be eaten raw.<ref>{{cite book |publisher=USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) |title=Online Database: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory |place=Beltsville, Maryland |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/search.pl?accid=%20CCYD+131 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923174127/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/acc/search.pl?accid=%20CCYD+131 |access-date=20 February 2011|archive-date=2015-09-23 }}</ref> High in [[pectin]], they are used to make [[jam]], [[Jelly (fruit preserves)|jelly]] and quince [[pudding]], or they may be peeled, then roasted, baked or stewed; pectin levels diminish as the fruit ripens.<ref name="Alexander">{{cite book |last=Alexander |first=S. |title=The cook's companion |publisher=Penguin Australia |year=2004 |isbn=978-1-9209-8900-2 |page=609}}</ref> Long cooking with sugar turns the flesh of the fruit red due to the presence of pigmented [[anthocyanin]]s.<ref name="McGee">{{cite book |title=On Food and Cooking |year=2004 |first=H. |last=McGee |publisher=Hodder & Stoughton |page=357 |isbn=978-0-684-80001-1 |url=https://archive.org/details/onfoodcookingsci0000mcge_e4f3/mode/1up |url-access=registration}}</ref>
[[Quince cheese]] is firm, sticky, sweet reddish hard paste made from the quince fruit, and originating from the Iberian peninsula. It is known as ''marmelada'' across the Portuguese-speaking world and as ''dulce de membrillo'' across the Spanish-speaking world, where it is used in a variety of recipes, eaten in sandwiches and with cheese, traditionally [[manchego cheese]], or accompanying fresh curds. In Chile, boiled quince is popular in desserts such as the ''[[murta con membrillo]]'' that combines [[Ugni molinae|Chilean guava]] with quince.


The strong flavour means they can be added in small quantities to apple pies and jam. Adding a diced quince to apple sauce enhances the taste of the apple sauce. The term "[[marmalade]]", originally meaning a quince jam, derives from ''[[wikt:marmelo|marmelo]]'', the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] word for this fruit.<ref name="Wilson">{{cite book |last=Wilson |first=C. Anne |title=The Book of Marmalade: Its Antecedents, Its History and Its Role in the World Today (Together with a Collection of Recipes for Marmalades and Marmalade Cookery) |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |place=Philadelphia |edition=Revised |year=1999 |orig-year=first published 1985 |isbn=0-8122-1727-6 |url=https://archive.org/details/bookofmarmaladei00wils/mode/1up |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Marmalade |work=Online Etymology Dictionary |year=2001 |first=Douglas |last=Harper |url=http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/marmalade |via=Dictionary.com}}</ref><ref name="AO">{{cite web |last1=Ferraz |first1=Rafaela |title=Why Portugal's Marmelada Tastes Nothing Like Marmalade |url=https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/what-is-marmelada? |website=Gastro Obscura |publisher=Atlas Obscura |access-date=8 December 2018 |date=5 December 2018}}</ref>
===Nutrition===
A raw quince is 84% water, 15% [[carbohydrate]]s, and contains negligible [[fat]] and [[protein]] (table). In a 100 gram reference amount, the fruit provides 57 [[calorie]]s and a moderate amount of [[vitamin C]] (18% of the [[Daily Value]]), but no other [[micronutrient]]s of significant quantity.


[[Quince cheese]] or quince jelly is a firm, sticky, sweet reddish hard paste made by slowly cooking down the quince fruit with sugar, and originating from the Iberian peninsula.<ref>{{cite web |title=Quince Jelly |url=https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/user/55876/recipe/quince-jelly |publisher=BBC Good Food |access-date=2 November 2024}}</ref> It is called {{lang|es|dulce de membrillo}} in the Spanish-speaking world, where it is eaten with [[manchego cheese]].<ref name="Marcus 2013">{{cite book |last=Marcus |first=Jacqueline B. |chapter=Global Food and Nutrition: Spanish Cheese |title=Culinary Nutrition |publisher=Elsevier |year=2013 |isbn=978-0-12-391882-6 |doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-391882-6.00012-1 |pages=545–605 |quote=Manchego is made from pasteurized sheep’s milk. It pairs with salmon or lamb and is often eaten with dulce de membrillo (quince paste).}}</ref>
===As drink===

In the [[Balkans]] and elsewhere, quince [[eau-de-vie]] ([[rakija]]) is made. For a quince ''rakija'', ripe fruits of sweeter varieties are washed and cleared from rot and seeds, then crushed or minced, mixed with cold or boiling sweetened water and winemaking [[yeast]], and left for several weeks to ferment. Fermented mash is [[distilled beverage|distilled]] twice to obtain an approximately 60% [[alcohol-by-volume]] (ABV) liquor. It may be diluted with distilled water to obtain the final product, containing 42-43% ABV.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://poljoprivreda.info/?oid=22&id=263 |title=Dunjevača izuzetne arome i ukusa |trans-title=Quince brandy of exceptional aroma and taste |publisher=Poljoprivreda.info |language=Serbian |date=22 November 2003 |access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref>
Quince is used in the [[Levant]], especially in [[Syria]]. It is added to either chicken or [[kibbeh]] to create an intense and unique taste such as with [[kibbeh safarjaliyeh]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Kubbah safarjalīyah |url=https://www.tasteatlas.com/kubbah-safarjaliyah |website=Taste Atlas |access-date=1 November 2024}}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed heights=150>
File:Dulce de Membrillo.jpg|[[Quince cheese]]
File:Kibbeh Safarjaliyeh.jpg|Levantine [[kibbeh safarjaliyeh]], beef stew in quince sauce
File:Rakija from Serbia1.JPG|Quince ''[[Rakia|Rakija]]'', Serbia
</gallery>

=== Alcoholic drink ===

In the [[Balkans]], quince [[eau-de-vie]] ([[rakija]]) is made. Ripe fruits of sweeter varieties are washed and cleared of rot and seeds, then crushed or minced, mixed with cold or boiling sweetened water and [[yeast]], and left for several weeks to ferment. The fermented mash is [[distilled beverage|distilled]] once, obtaining a 20–30 [[alcohol-by-volume|ABV]], or twice, producing an approximately 60% ABV liquor. The two distillates may be mixed or diluted with distilled water to obtain the final product, containing 42–43% ABV.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://poljoprivreda.info/tekst/dunjevaca-izuzetne-arome-i-ukusa |title=Dunjevača izuzetne arome i ukusa |trans-title=Quince brandy of exceptional aroma and taste |publisher=Poljoprivreda.info |language=sr |date=22 November 2003 |access-date=3 February 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.agropress.org.rs:80/lat/rubrike/tehnologija-prerade/item/3156-kako-da-napravite-kvalitetnu-dunjevacu |title=Kako da napravite kvalitetnu dunjevaču |trans-title=How to make a quality quince |publisher=Agropress |language=sr |date=11 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171110190324/http://www.agropress.org.rs:80/lat/rubrike/tehnologija-prerade/item/3156-kako-da-napravite-kvalitetnu-dunjevacu |access-date=3 February 2020 |archive-date=2017-11-10 }}</ref>


In the [[Alsace]] region of France and the [[Valais]] region of Switzerland, ''liqueur de [[:fr:Coing|coing]]'' made from quince is used as a ''[[digestif]]''.
In the [[Alsace]] region of France and the [[Valais]] region of Switzerland, ''liqueur de [[:fr:Coing|coing]]'' made from quince is used as a ''[[digestif]]''.


In Carolina in 1709, John Lawson allowed that he was "not a fair judge of the different sorts of Quinces, which they call Brunswick, Portugal and Barbary", but he noted "of this fruit they make a wine or liquor which they call Quince-Drink, and which I approve of beyond any that their country affords, though a great deal of [[cider]] and [[perry]] is there made, The Quince-Drink most commonly purges."<ref>Lawson, ''A New Voyage to Carolina'', 1709, quoted in Ann Leighton, ''American Gardens in the 18th Century: 'for Use or For Delight' '', 1986:242f.</ref>
In Carolina in 1709, John Lawson allowed that he was "not a fair judge of the different sorts of Quinces, which they call Brunswick, Portugal and Barbary", but he noted "of this fruit they make a wine or liquor which they call Quince-Drink, and which I approve of beyond any that their country affords, though a great deal of [[cider]] and [[perry]] is there made, The Quince-Drink most commonly purges."<ref name="Lawson">{{cite book |first=John |last=Lawson |title=A New Voyage to Carolina |year=1709}} Quoted in {{harvp|Leighton|1986|page=243}}</ref>


=== Ornamental ===
=== Ornamental ===

Quince is one of the most popular species for deciduous [[bonsai]] specimens,<ref name=Cumo2013/> along with related [[Chinese quince]] and [[Japanese quince]], native to Eastern Asia.
Quince is one of the most popular species for deciduous [[bonsai]] specimens, and is widely grown for its attractive flowers.<ref name="Carlton"/><ref name="Postman">{{cite journal |last=Postman |first=Joseph |title=''Cydonia oblonga'': The unappreciated quince |journal=[[Arnoldia (journal)|Arnoldia]] |volume=67 |number=1 |year=2009 |pages=2–9 |doi=10.5962/p.251043 |jstor=42955445 |url=https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/20721500/Postman/Postman.2009.UnappreciatedQuince.Arnoldia67(1).pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211231727/https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/20721500/Postman/Postman.2009.UnappreciatedQuince.Arnoldia67(1).pdf |archivedate=2017-02-11 |url-status=live}}</ref>


== Cultural associations ==
== Cultural associations ==
* In [[Turkey]], the expression ''ayvayı yemek'' (literally "to eat the quince") is used as a derogatory term indicating any unpleasant situation or a malevolent incident to avoid. This usage is likened to the rather bitter aftertaste of a quince fruit inside the mouth.
* When a baby is born in the Balkans, a quince tree is planted as a symbol of fertility, love and life.<ref name="Cumo2013">{{cite book |last=Carlton |first=Deb |editor-first=Christopher |editor-last=Cumo |title=Encyclopedia of Cultivated Plants: From Acacia to Zinnia &#91;3 Volumes&#93;: From Acacia to Zinnia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ja7WAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA772|date=25 April 2013|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-59884-775-8|pages=885–858}}</ref>
* Ancient Greek poets (Ibycus, Aristophanes, ''e.g.'') used quinces (''kydonia'') as a mildly ribald term for teenage breasts.
* In ''[[The Simpsons]]'' episode "Who Shot Mr. Burns? (Part One)", Homer sends Mr. Burns a box of chocolates with a family photo at the bottom. Burns and Smithers eschew the sour quince log, leaving Homer's face obscured in the photo.
* Although the [[Book of Genesis]] does not name the specific type of the fruit that Adam and Eve ate from the [[Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil]] in the [[Garden of Eden]], some ancient texts suggest Eve's fruit of temptation might have been a quince.<ref>Cyclopaedia of Biblical, theological, and ecclesiastical literature, Volume 1 By James Strong</ref>
* In [[Plutarch]]'s [[Parallel Lives|''Lives'']], [[Solon]] is said to have decreed that "bride and bridegroom shall be shut into a chamber, and eat a quince together."<ref>[[s:Lives (Dryden translation)/Solon|Wikisource: ''Lives'' by Plutarch, translated by John Dryden: ''Solon'']]</ref>


Ancient Greek poets such as [[Ibycus]] and [[Aristophanes]] used quinces (''kydonia'') as a mildly [[Ribaldry|ribald]] term for teenage breasts.<ref name="v090">{{cite journal |last=Foster |first=Benjamin Oliver |title=Notes on the Symbolism of the Apple in Classical Antiquity |journal=Harvard Studies in Classical Philology |jstor=310298 |volume=10 |year=1899 |doi=10.2307/310298 |page=39}}</ref>
==Gallery==
In [[Plutarch]]'s [[Parallel Lives|''Lives'']], [[Solon]] is said to have decreed that "bride and bridegroom shall be shut into a chamber, and eat a quince together."<ref>[[s:Lives (Dryden translation)/Solon|Wikisource: ''Lives'' by Plutarch, translated by John Dryden: ''Solon'']]</ref> The hero [[Hercules]] is associated with [[golden apple]]s; these are thought by some scholars probably to have been quinces.<ref name="Abdollahi 2021">{{cite book |last=Abdollahi |first=Hamid |chapter=Quince |title=Temperate fruits |publisher=Apple Academic Press |year=2021 |pages=183–246 |isbn=9781003045861}}<!-- citing Hodgson 2011--></ref> When a baby is born in the Balkans, a quince tree is planted as a symbol of fertility, love and life.<ref name="Carlton">{{cite book |last=Carlton |first=Deb |editor-first=Christopher |editor-last=Cumo |title=Encyclopedia of Cultivated Plants: From Acacia to Zinnia, Volume III |date=2013 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |location=Santa Barbara, Calif. |isbn=978-1-59884-775-8 |pages=855–858 |chapter=Quince}}</ref> [[Edward Lear]]'s 1870 [[nonsense poem]] ''[[The Owl and the Pussycat]]'' contains the lines<ref name="Young 2015"/>
<gallery>

File:Still Life with Quinces by Vincent van Gogh (1887), Albertinum, Dresden.jpg|Still-life of quinces by [[Vincent van Gogh]] (1887), [[Albertinum]], Dresden
{{blockquote|<poem>They dined on mince, and slices of quince
File:Quinces skin closeup.JPG|Closeup of Russian 'Aromatnaya' quinces
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
File:Reife Konstantinopeler Quitten aus dem Vogelsberg.jpg|Ripe Constantinople apple quinces from the [[Vogelsberg Mountains|Vogelsberg]]
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon.</poem>}}

Kate Young writes in ''[[The Guardian]]'' that the poem may be nonsense, but that slices of quince work well with a [[meringue]] and [[whipped cream]] dessert.<ref name="Young 2015">{{cite news |last=Young |first=Kate |title=Food in books: Quince, Meringue and Cream from The Owl and the Pussycat |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/little-library-cafe/2015/nov/12/food-in-books-quince-meringue-and-cream-from-the-owl-and-the-pussycat |access-date=2 November 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |date=12 November 2015}}</ref>

<gallery mode=packed heights=150>
File:Hércules Famésio Farnese Hercules (back) (53064049483).jpg|[[Farnese Hercules]] holding 3 '[[golden apple]]s' or quinces.<ref name="Abdollahi 2021"/> Copy of 3rd century AD statue
Frutta4.jpg|Quince in a fruit basket<br/>[[Caravaggio]], 1597–1600
File:Fra Juan Sánchez Cotán - Still-Life with Game Fowl - WGA20724.jpg|Quince in a still life<br/>[[Juan Sánchez Cotán]], 1600–1603
File:Ночной пикник. 1620-25 Брит.муз..jpg|''A picnic at night'',<br/>by Mohammad Kassim Tabrizi<!--https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Kassim-->, miniature c. 1650
File:Still Life with Quinces by Vincent van Gogh (1887), Albertinum, Dresden.jpg|Still-life of quinces<br/>[[Vincent van Gogh]], 1887
</gallery>
</gallery>


== See also ==
== See also ==

*[[List of culinary fruits]]
* [[List of culinary fruits]]


== References ==
== References ==

{{Reflist|30em}}
{{reflist|30em}}


== External links ==
== External links ==

{{EB1911 poster|Quince}}
{{wiktionary|quince}}
*{{Commons-inline|Cydonia oblonga}}

* {{Commons-inline|Cydonia oblonga|''Cydonia oblonga''}}


{{Taxonbar|from=Q43300}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q43300}}
Line 203: Line 237:
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Medicinal plants]]
[[Category:Plants used in bonsai]]
[[Category:Plants used in bonsai]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Philip Miller]]

Latest revision as of 20:02, 1 December 2024

Quince
Fruit and tree illustration by Pancrace Bessa, before 1835
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Rosales
Family: Rosaceae
Subfamily: Amygdaloideae
Tribe: Maleae
Subtribe: Malinae
Genus: Cydonia
Mill.
Species:
C. oblonga
Binomial name
Cydonia oblonga
Mill.
Synonyms

C. vulgaris

The quince (/ˈkwɪns/; Cydonia oblonga) is the sole member of the genus Cydonia in the Malinae subtribe (which contains apples, pears, and other fruits) of the Rosaceae family. It is a deciduous tree that bears hard, aromatic bright golden-yellow pome fruit, similar in appearance to a pear. Ripe quince fruits are hard, tart, and astringent. They are eaten raw or processed into jam, quince cheese, or alcoholic drinks.

The quince tree is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant for its attractive pale pink blossoms and as a miniature bonsai plant. In ancient Greece, the word for quince was used slightly ribaldly to signify teenage breasts.

Description

[edit]

Quinces are shrubs or small trees up to 4 to 6 metres (13 to 20 feet) high and 3 to 4.5 metres (10 to 15 feet) wide. Young twigs are covered in a grey down.[2] The leaves are oval, and are downy on the underside. The solitary flowers, produced in late spring after the leaves, are white or pink.[3]

The ripe fruit is aromatic but remains hard; gritty stone cells are dispersed through the flesh.[2] It is larger than many apples, weighing as much as 1 kilogram (2.2 lb), often pear-shaped but sometimes roughly spherical.[2]

The seeds contain nitriles, common in the seeds of the rose family. In the stomach, enzymes or stomach acid or both cause some of the nitriles to be hydrolysed and produce toxic hydrogen cyanide, which is a volatile gas. The seeds are toxic only if eaten in large quantities.[4]

History

[edit]

Quince is native to the Hyrcanian forests south of the Caspian Sea.[5][6] From that centre of origin it was spread radially by Neolithic farmers, c. 5000 to 3000 BC, to secondary centres including Turkey, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Syria. In turn, landraces of quince were then distributed across Europe, Russia, China, India, and North Africa. It reached Britain in the 16th century. Settlers brought it to North America in the 17th century, and to Central and South America in the 18th century.[7]

The fruit was known in the Akkadian language as supurgillu; "quinces" (collective plural),[8] which was borrowed into Aramaic as ספרגלין sparglin; it was known in Judea during the Mishnaic Hebrew as פרישין prishin (a loanword from Jewish Palestinian Aramaic פרישין "the miraculous [fruit]");[9] quince flourished in the heat of the Mesopotamian plain, where apples did not. It was cultivated from an archaic period around the Mediterranean. Some ancients called the fruit "golden apples".[10]

The Greeks associated it with Kydonia on Crete, as the "Cydonian pome", and Theophrastus, in his Enquiry into Plants, noted that quince was one of many fruiting plants that do not come true from seed.[11]

As a sacred emblem of Aphrodite, a quince figured in a lost poem of Callimachus that survives in a prose epitome: seeing his beloved in the courtyard of the temple of Aphrodite, Acontius plucks a quince from the "orchard of Aphrodite", inscribes its skin and furtively rolls it at the feet of her illiterate nurse, whose curiosity aroused, hands it to the girl to read aloud, and the girl finds herself saying "I swear by Aphrodite that I will marry Acontius". A vow thus spoken in the goddess's temenos cannot be broken.[12] Pliny the Elder mentions "numerous varieties" of quince in his Natural History and describes four.[13]

Quinces are ripe on the tree only briefly: the Roman cookbook De re coquinaria of Apicius specifies in attempting to keep quinces, to select perfect unbruised fruits and keep stems and leaves intact, submerged in honey and reduced wine.[14]

Taxonomy

[edit]

Cydonia is in the subfamily Amygdaloideae.[15]

The modern name originated in the 14th century as a plural of quoyn, via Old French cooin from Latin cotoneum malum / cydonium malum, ultimately from Greek κυδώνιον μῆλον, kydonion melon "Kydonian apple".

Cultivation

[edit]

Quince is a hardy, drought-tolerant shrub which adapts to many soils of low to medium pH. It tolerates both shade and sun, but sunlight is required to produce larger flowers and ensure fruit ripening. It is a hardy plant that does not require much maintenance, and tolerates years without pruning or major insect and disease problems.[16]

Quince is cultivated on all continents in warm-temperate and temperate climates. It requires a cooler period of the year, with temperatures under 7 °C (45 °F), to flower properly. Propagation is done by cuttings or layering; the former method produces better plants, but they take longer to mature than by the latter. Named cultivars are propagated by cuttings or layers grafted on quince rootstock. Propagation by seed is not used commercially. Quince forms thick bushes, which must be pruned and reduced into a single stem to grow fruit-bearing trees for commercial use. The tree is self-pollinated, but it produces better yields when cross-pollinated.[16]

Fruits are typically left on the tree to ripen fully. In warmer climates, it may become soft to the point of being edible, but additional ripening may be required in cooler climates. They are harvested in late autumn, before first frosts.[16] Quince is used as rootstock for certain pear cultivars.[16]

In Europe, quinces are commonly grown in central and southern areas where the summers are sufficiently hot for the fruit to fully ripen. They are not grown in large amounts; typically one or two quince trees are grown in a mixed orchard with several apples and other fruit trees. In the 18th-century New England colonies, for example, there was always a quince at the lower corner of the vegetable garden, Ann Leighton notes in records of Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Newburyport, Massachusetts.[17]: 243  Charlemagne directed that quinces be planted in well-stocked orchards. Quinces in England are first recorded in about 1275, when Edward I had some planted at the Tower of London.[18]

Pests and diseases

[edit]

Quince is subject to a variety of pest insects including aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, and moth caterpillars such as leafrollers (Tortricidae) and codling moths.[19]

While quince is a hardy shrub, it may develop fungal diseases in hot weather, resulting in premature leaf fall.[16] Quince leaf blight, caused by fungus Diplocarpon mespili, presents a threat in wet summers, causing severe leaf spotting and early defoliation, affecting fruit to a lesser extent.[20] Cedar-quince rust, caused by Gymnosporangium clavipes, requires two hosts to complete its life cycle, one usually a juniper, and the other a member of the Rosaceae. Appearing as red excrescence on various parts of the plant, it may affect quinces grown near junipers.[21]

Production

[edit]
Quince production – 2021
Country (tonnes)
 Turkey 192,012
 China 111,377
 Uzbekistan 97,536
 Iran 90,564
 Morocco 54,641
World 697,563
Source: UN FAOSTAT[22]

In 2021, world production of quinces was 697,563 tonnes, with Turkey and China accounting for 43% of the world total (table).

Cultivars

[edit]

Quince cultivars include:[23]

  • 'Champion'
  • 'Cooke's Jumbo' (syn. 'Jumbo')
  • 'Dwarf Orange'
  • 'Gamboa'
  • 'Le Bourgeaut'
  • 'Lescovacz'
  • 'Ludovic'
  • 'Maliformis'
  • 'Meeches Prolific'
  • 'Morava'
  • 'Orange' (syn. 'Apple quince')
  • 'Perfume'
  • 'Pineapple'
  • 'Portugal' (syn. 'Lusitanica')
  • 'Siebosa'
  • 'Smyrna'
  • 'Van Deman'
  • 'Vranja' (syn. 'Bereczki')

The cultivars 'Vranja' Nenadovic and 'Serbian Gold' have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[24][25]

Uses

[edit]

Nutrition

[edit]
Quinces, raw
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy238 kJ (57 kcal)
15.3 g
Dietary fibre1.9 g
0.1 g
0.4 g
Vitamins and minerals
VitaminsQuantity
%DV
Thiamine (B1)
2%
0.02 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
2%
0.03 mg
Niacin (B3)
1%
0.2 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)
2%
0.081 mg
Vitamin B6
2%
0.04 mg
Folate (B9)
1%
3 μg
Vitamin C
17%
15 mg
MineralsQuantity
%DV
Calcium
1%
11 mg
Iron
4%
0.7 mg
Magnesium
2%
8 mg
Phosphorus
1%
17 mg
Potassium
7%
197 mg
Sodium
0%
4 mg
Zinc
0%
0.04 mg
Other constituentsQuantity
Water84 g

Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[26] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[27]

A raw quince is 84% water, 15% carbohydrates, and contains negligible fat and protein (table). In a 100-gram (3+12-ounce) reference amount, the fruit provides 238 kilojoules (57 kilocalories) of food energy and a moderate amount of vitamin C (18% of the Daily Value), with no other micronutrients in significant percentage of the Daily Value (table).

Culinary use

[edit]

Quinces are appreciated for their intense aroma, flavour, and tartness. However, most varieties are too hard and tart to be eaten raw. They may be cooked or roasted and used for jams, marmalade, jellies, or pudding.[16] A few varieties, such as 'Aromatnaya' and 'Kuganskaya', can be eaten raw.[28] High in pectin, they are used to make jam, jelly and quince pudding, or they may be peeled, then roasted, baked or stewed; pectin levels diminish as the fruit ripens.[29] Long cooking with sugar turns the flesh of the fruit red due to the presence of pigmented anthocyanins.[30]

The strong flavour means they can be added in small quantities to apple pies and jam. Adding a diced quince to apple sauce enhances the taste of the apple sauce. The term "marmalade", originally meaning a quince jam, derives from marmelo, the Portuguese word for this fruit.[31][32][33]

Quince cheese or quince jelly is a firm, sticky, sweet reddish hard paste made by slowly cooking down the quince fruit with sugar, and originating from the Iberian peninsula.[34] It is called dulce de membrillo in the Spanish-speaking world, where it is eaten with manchego cheese.[35]

Quince is used in the Levant, especially in Syria. It is added to either chicken or kibbeh to create an intense and unique taste such as with kibbeh safarjaliyeh.[36]

Alcoholic drink

[edit]

In the Balkans, quince eau-de-vie (rakija) is made. Ripe fruits of sweeter varieties are washed and cleared of rot and seeds, then crushed or minced, mixed with cold or boiling sweetened water and yeast, and left for several weeks to ferment. The fermented mash is distilled once, obtaining a 20–30 ABV, or twice, producing an approximately 60% ABV liquor. The two distillates may be mixed or diluted with distilled water to obtain the final product, containing 42–43% ABV.[37][38]

In the Alsace region of France and the Valais region of Switzerland, liqueur de coing made from quince is used as a digestif.

In Carolina in 1709, John Lawson allowed that he was "not a fair judge of the different sorts of Quinces, which they call Brunswick, Portugal and Barbary", but he noted "of this fruit they make a wine or liquor which they call Quince-Drink, and which I approve of beyond any that their country affords, though a great deal of cider and perry is there made, The Quince-Drink most commonly purges."[39]

Ornamental

[edit]

Quince is one of the most popular species for deciduous bonsai specimens, and is widely grown for its attractive flowers.[16][40]

Cultural associations

[edit]

Ancient Greek poets such as Ibycus and Aristophanes used quinces (kydonia) as a mildly ribald term for teenage breasts.[41] In Plutarch's Lives, Solon is said to have decreed that "bride and bridegroom shall be shut into a chamber, and eat a quince together."[42] The hero Hercules is associated with golden apples; these are thought by some scholars probably to have been quinces.[7] When a baby is born in the Balkans, a quince tree is planted as a symbol of fertility, love and life.[16] Edward Lear's 1870 nonsense poem The Owl and the Pussycat contains the lines[43]

They dined on mince, and slices of quince
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon.

Kate Young writes in The Guardian that the poem may be nonsense, but that slices of quince work well with a meringue and whipped cream dessert.[43]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Plummer, J. (2021). "Cydonia oblonga". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T61611928A61611931. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-2.RLTS.T61611928A61611931.en. Retrieved 25 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "View crop: Cydonia oblonga". Food and Agriculture Organization. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  3. ^ "Cydonia oblonga (F): quince". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  4. ^ "Cydonia oblonga Quince". Plants For A Future.
  5. ^ Zohary, Daniel; Hopf, Maria; Weiss, Ehud (2012). Domestication of Plants in the Old World: The Origin and Spread of Domesticated Plants in Southwest Asia, Europe, and the Mediterranean Basin. Oxford University Press. p. 144. ISBN 978-0-19-954906-1.
  6. ^ Brickell, Christopher (2008). A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. London: Dorling Kindersley. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
  7. ^ a b c Abdollahi, Hamid (2021). "Quince". Temperate fruits. Apple Academic Press. pp. 183–246. ISBN 9781003045861.
  8. ^ Lauffenburger, Olivier (2006). "supurgillu". The Hittite Grammar Homepage, Akkadian Dictionary. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007 – via premiumwanadoo.com.
  9. ^ Maimonides (1967). "1:6". Mishnah commentary to tractate Uksin (original Judeo-Arabic אלספרג׳ל (Mossad HaRav Kook ed.). Jerusalem.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  10. ^ Lyle, Katie Letcher (2010) [first published 2004]. The Complete Guide to Edible Wild Plants, Mushrooms, Fruits, and Nuts: How to Find, Identify, and Cook Them (2nd ed.). Guilford, Connecticut: FalconGuides. p. 110. ISBN 978-1-59921-887-8. OCLC 560560606.
  11. ^ Theophrastus. "Quince produces wild quince". Enquiry.
  12. ^ Skinner, Marilyn B. (2003). "Carmina Battiadae". Catullus in Verona: a Reading of the Elegiac Libellus. Columbus: Ohio State University Press. pp. 15ff. ISBN 978-0-8142-0937-0.
  13. ^ Pliny the Elder. Natural History. pp. xv.10.11.
  14. ^ Lacus Curtius. Apicius.
  15. ^ Potter, D.; Eriksson, T.; Evans, R. C.; et al. (2007). "Phylogeny and classification of Rosaceae" (PDF). Plant Systematics and Evolution. 266 (1–2): 5–43. Bibcode:2007PSyEv.266....5P. doi:10.1007/s00606-007-0539-9. S2CID 16578516. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 October 2011. [It names the subfamily as "Spiraeoideae"].
  16. ^ a b c d e f g h Carlton, Deb (2013). "Quince". In Cumo, Christopher (ed.). Encyclopedia of Cultivated Plants: From Acacia to Zinnia, Volume III. Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO. pp. 855–858. ISBN 978-1-59884-775-8.
  17. ^ Leighton, Ann (1986) [first published 1976]. American Gardens in the Eighteenth Century: "For Use Or for Delight". Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press. ISBN 978-0-8702-3531-3.
  18. ^ Fearnley-Whittingstall, Hugh (7 October 2011). "Quince recipes". The Guardian.
  19. ^ Waterworth, Kristi (5 April 2021). "Common Pests Of Quince Trees – Tips On Treating Quince Tree Pests". Gardening Know How. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  20. ^ "Quince leaf blight". Royal Horticultural Society. 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  21. ^ "Cedar-Quince Rust". Missouri Botanical Garden. 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
  22. ^ "Quince production in 2021; Crops/World regions/Production total from picklists". UN Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database. 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  23. ^ "Agroforestry news quince cydonia oblonga". agroforestry.co.uk. Archived from the original on 6 October 2006.
  24. ^ "Cydonia oblonga 'Vranja' Nenadovic". Royal Horticultural Society. Archived from the original on 17 May 2013. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  25. ^ "Cydonia oblonga 'Serbian Gold' (F)". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 22 July 2023.
  26. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 27 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  27. ^ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). "Chapter 4: Potassium: Dietary Reference Intakes for Adequacy". In Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). pp. 120–121. doi:10.17226/25353. ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
  28. ^ Online Database: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. Beltsville, Maryland: USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
  29. ^ Alexander, S. (2004). The cook's companion. Penguin Australia. p. 609. ISBN 978-1-9209-8900-2.
  30. ^ McGee, H. (2004). On Food and Cooking. Hodder & Stoughton. p. 357. ISBN 978-0-684-80001-1.
  31. ^ Wilson, C. Anne (1999) [first published 1985]. The Book of Marmalade: Its Antecedents, Its History and Its Role in the World Today (Together with a Collection of Recipes for Marmalades and Marmalade Cookery) (Revised ed.). Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 0-8122-1727-6.
  32. ^ Harper, Douglas (2001). "Marmalade". Online Etymology Dictionary – via Dictionary.com.
  33. ^ Ferraz, Rafaela (5 December 2018). "Why Portugal's Marmelada Tastes Nothing Like Marmalade". Gastro Obscura. Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
  34. ^ "Quince Jelly". BBC Good Food. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
  35. ^ Marcus, Jacqueline B. (2013). "Global Food and Nutrition: Spanish Cheese". Culinary Nutrition. Elsevier. pp. 545–605. doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-391882-6.00012-1. ISBN 978-0-12-391882-6. Manchego is made from pasteurized sheep's milk. It pairs with salmon or lamb and is often eaten with dulce de membrillo (quince paste).
  36. ^ "Kubbah safarjalīyah". Taste Atlas. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
  37. ^ "Dunjevača izuzetne arome i ukusa" [Quince brandy of exceptional aroma and taste] (in Serbian). Poljoprivreda.info. 22 November 2003. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  38. ^ "Kako da napravite kvalitetnu dunjevaču" [How to make a quality quince] (in Serbian). Agropress. 11 October 2015. Archived from the original on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2020.
  39. ^ Lawson, John (1709). A New Voyage to Carolina. Quoted in Leighton (1986), p. 243
  40. ^ Postman, Joseph (2009). "Cydonia oblonga: The unappreciated quince" (PDF). Arnoldia. 67 (1): 2–9. doi:10.5962/p.251043. JSTOR 42955445. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 February 2017.
  41. ^ Foster, Benjamin Oliver (1899). "Notes on the Symbolism of the Apple in Classical Antiquity". Harvard Studies in Classical Philology. 10: 39. doi:10.2307/310298. JSTOR 310298.
  42. ^ Wikisource: Lives by Plutarch, translated by John Dryden: Solon
  43. ^ a b Young, Kate (12 November 2015). "Food in books: Quince, Meringue and Cream from The Owl and the Pussycat". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 November 2024.
[edit]