Loquat

Eriobotrya japonica

fruit

Small orange fruits, juicy and tart, in clusters, from an evergreen tree with large, deeply veined leaves; its leaves are also used for tea. They provide beta-cryptoxanthin and pectins.

Origin

China (despite its name)

Season (United States)

all year round · grows in your region

Preparation

The thin skin is eaten or removed; the large brown seeds are not: they contain amygdalin.

Molecules

Pectins · Beta-cryptoxanthin

Did you know?

In China it is called pípá; it was long thought close to the medlar, hence the name Japanese medlar that Spanish and Italian still use.