How to cook loquat

Information for loquat in our free cooking ingredients collection.

Loquat

The loquat is a small pear-shaped fruit that grows to about 3 inches in length and has thin yellow skin that is sometimes covered with a fine down. When the fruit is ripe, the skin peels easily from the flesh. The flesh is juicy, translucent white to orange, and slightly tart, although immature fruits can be quite sour. Each fruit contains about three to five large, smooth, dark-brown seeds.

Family - Rosaceae
Scientific name - Eriobotrya japonica
Common name - loquat, May apple, Japanese medlar, Japanese plum

High in vitamin A

Varieties

Loquats are available in two varieties: orange-fleshed and white-fleshed. Orange-fleshed varieties include Gold Nugget, Strawberry, and Tanaka; white-fleshed types include Advance, Champagne, and Vista White. Gold Nugget fruits have a flavor similar to that of an apricot, whereas Strawberry fruits have a flavor similar to that of strawberries. Tanaka varieties bear long-lasting, very large, firm, orange fruits with an aromatic, sweet flavor. The translucent white-fleshed Advance fruits are juicy and pleasantly flavored. Vista White fruits have pure white flesh and a high sugar content.

Origin and botanical facts

Although the loquat is indigenous to southeastern China, the Japanese have cultivated the plant for more than 1,000 years and have considerably improved and popularized the fruit. Loquats were introduced to Europe in the late 18th century, where they were grown initially for purely ornamental purposes. It is believed that the plants were introduced to Hawaii by the Chinese.

The loquat tree is a large evergreen that belongs to the same family as the apple, peach, and plum and can grow up to 30 feet in height. Easy to grow, the plant is often used as an ornamental plant because its long, boldly textured, dark-green leaves add a tropical look to the garden. Small white flowers with a sweet fragrance bloom in fall or early winter, and the fruits appear in clusters in early spring.

The loquat has adapted to subtropical and mild-temperate climates, but the tree will not bear fruit if the weather is too cool or excessively hot and humid. The white-fleshed varieties are better adapted to cool coastal areas than are the orange-fleshed types. Today, loquats are grown in China, Japan, India, Central and South America, the Mediterranean, the Middle East, and the United States, where the leading producers are California and Florida. Worldwide, Japan is the leading producer, followed by Israel and Brazil. Because fresh loquats bruise and perish easily, they usually are found only in the regions where they are grown. Consequently, they are not as popular or commercially successful as some other fruits.

How to cook loquat

Loquats are available in fresh, dried, and canned forms in Asian markets. Fresh fruits can be stored at room temperature or, if very ripe, can be refrigerated in a plastic bag. With or without the skin, loquats are refreshing as a snack. Their tangy flavor livens up poultry dishes. They can be added to fruit salads or pies, made into jams and jellies, candied, or made into a liqueur.

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