A Beginner's Guide To Quince

The golden apples of Greek mythology were likely quince, not apples at all. This fruit was a symbol of Aphrodite and love. One ancient governor of Athens officially declared quinces a wedding fruit. Brides would eat one on their wedding night, likely to sweeten their breath before getting to know their husbands better.

The Greeks may have held quince in high regard, but today this fruit is hard to come by in supermarkets in the United States. Many people have never seen one, much less smelled, tasted or cooked with it. It's a shame, because the taste of these golden orbs is alluring — and unforgettable. Once you've tried a quince the right way, there's no going back.

Of course, that unforgettable taste explains why the quince has its fan club. Some people call it the definitive slow food — that's a compliment. Others, despite its obscurity, have set up quince farms and sell the fruit at farmers' markets. At least one organization has even gone to the trouble to set up a gene bank for quinces, collecting specimens from around the world and propagating them.

Knowing this probably makes you feel curious about the furry, yellow pear-shaped fruit. Read on if you want to know more about how they taste, where to find them, and what kinds of recipes to use quince in.

The United States is home to one of the most diverse collections of quince DNA, despite many people in the U.S. have never eaten a quince. The National Clonal Germplasm Repository in Corvallis, Oregon has managed to identify and preserve 41 varieties from around the world.

There is the huge, football-shaped Portuguese specimen — one fruit can measure 7 inches long. On the other end of the spectrum, Aromatnaya from Russia, are small, sweet, and soft enough to eat raw. Large knobby Smyrna quinces originated in Greece — they're famously hard to chop. Californians created Pineapple quinces which have a flavor and scent reminiscent of their namesake. It's one of the most popular kinds for making jam.  The Isfahan variety comes from Iran and while quinces always smell fantastic, this kind is famous for being particularly aromatic. Two of the most popular varieties from France are called Angers and De Bourgeaut — both make fantastic, deep red jam.

Rob and Paula Siegel lived in Santiago, Chile for years. There, they learned to love the thick quince jam that locals eat with bread for breakfast. When they returned to the United States, the couple missed the product so much that they started a quince farm. They've had great success selling their produce online and some of their most avid buyers are immigrants from around the world who miss the fruit.

In Spain, Portugal, and Latin America people regularly eat thick quince spread with cheese. The Turkish prefer poaching the fruit with cinnamon and serving it for dessert. One Hungarian man commented on WebMD that his grandmother used to prepare quinces with cabbage and beef paprika. In Korea, people boil their quince to make tea. Stewed quince is popular in Lebanon and Iran. That being said, globally, the two largest producers and consumers of the fruit are China and Turkey.

At the same time, it's amazing that a fruit, so beloved around the world, remains relatively obscure in the U.S. It may have something to do with the time and care it takes to cook a quince into something delicious. It's far easier and quicker to grab an apple, wash it, and bite in — but if that's all you do, you're missing out on a truly distinct flavor.

In an ancient Roman cookbook, "De re coquinaria" by Apicius, there's a recipe for preserving quince. The instructions say to put whole quinces in large clay vessels and pour a mixture of reduced new wine and honey over the fruit. Likewise, other recipes in the book also pair the fruit with honey. Romans probably liked this combination because the fruit was too sour otherwise.

Today, refined sugar is more readily available than honey and so that is most often added to quince. Modern Turkish and Middle Eastern recipes suggest adding an array of aromatic spices. These could include cardamon, cinnamon, and cloves to bring out the quince's taste. In Turkey, they add hibiscus for extra red color. In sweet pastries like pies and crumbles, people often combine this fruit with apples and pears. If you want to pair it with meat, a sauce of apple and quince brings out the best in pork.

Whatever you do, don't bite straight into a raw quince and expect it will taste like it smells. There are people who enjoy the taste of this fruit uncooked, but they are few and far between. The texture will make your mouth feel dry, the sour taste will pucker your mouth, and you'll probably never want to eat another quince in you life.

It's also vitally important to choose ripe quinces for your recipes. If you've never bought one before, picking mature specimens can be a challenge. Most varieties of this fruit will turn lemon yellow when they're ripe and give off a strong perfume. Additionally, the fuzz on the skin should rub off easily. Once fruit is ripe, this hairy layer will have mostly fallen off on its own.

Finally, it's tempting to cut down on sugar in recipes. That's a huge mistake. This fruit is so sour that the sweetener is the only way to make them palatable. If you're worried about health implications of too much sugar, try using honey like ancient Romans did, or evaporated cane sugar for a less processed ingredient.