Loquat

Curiosity

It is said that " with time and with the straw they also ripen the medlar ": a sort of revisitation of the proverb " patience is the virtue of the strong ". Although these aphorisms were not invented with the specific intent of talking about loquats, they are well suited to introducing the topic we will discuss in this article: loquats. These strange fruits have the peculiarity of not being harvested ripe: the medlars love to "wait", therefore they can only be eaten after a longer or shorter period following the harvest. In this way, the fruits can be better appreciated for their sweetness and particularity.

Generality

Medlar cultivation began to spread rapidly when it was observed that the fruit also boasted beneficial properties: astringent, regulating intestinal and hepatic function, febrifuge, anti-inflammatory and diuretic. Unfortunately, due to the lack of economic interest, with the passing of time the medlar was gradually neglected in favor of cultures far more profitable.

Medlars are the fruits of two different plant species: the European and Japanese medlar. The European medlar, or common medlar, has been known since time immemorial, and is a plant widespread in southern Europe and in Asia Minor; the Japanese medlar, originating however from China, is currently more commercialized and cultivated. In order to distinguish the characteristics of both, a paragraph of in-depth analysis will be dedicated to each one.

European medlar tree

1. Description and botanical analysis of the medlar

In botany, the common medlar is Mespilus germanica, belonging to the Rosaceae family. We are talking about a small thorny tree, no more than 5 meters high, very large in diameter: from this branch numerous twisted and rather robust branches.

The medlar is covered with ovate-lanceolate, deciduous and pubescent leaves on the inferior page, presenting a typically serrated margin. The flowers, whitish, sessile and sedentary, are simple, consisting of 5 petals, and during flowering they decorate the plant sumptuously, so as to make it easily distinguishable from the others.

The fruits are the medlars, small apples with a rough peel (diameter 2-2.5 cm), with a light brownish color, covered with a slight down. As described in the beginning, the medlars cannot be consumed immediately after harvesting: if the fruits are picked in late autumn, they reach full maturity only in January or February. The seeds are contained within the pulp and being harmful to health should always be eliminated.

It is easy to understand if the medlars are ripe, therefore ready for consumption: when harvested, the fruits have a hard consistency, a very sour taste and have a light brown skin. After some time, the medlars take on a more and more soggy consistency and, thanks to an enzymatic transformation of the pulp, the fruit not only acquires a darker color but is modified in flavor, which is very sweet, as well as delicious.

2. Uses of the medlar in the phytotherapy field

The dried bark can be used for the preparation of highly astringent decoctions. Furthermore, the decoction can be exploited for throat hygiene and, above all, as a good natural remedy for inflammation of the oral cavity.

As we have seen, immature medlars are very harsh: the acidulous taste of the fruit confirms the large quantity of tannins, indirectly proportional to the degree of maturity of the same. In this case, the immature fruit exerts a strong antidiarrheal and astringent action on the intestinal level; vice versa, at full maturity, the astringent properties of the medlar are transformed into laxatives.

Ripe fruits are also excellent diuretics.

Japanese medlar tree

1. Description and botanical analysis of the medlar

The Japanese medlar ( Eriobotrya japonica ) also belongs to the Rosaceae family. Japanese medlars, originating from China, were imported into Europe in the early nineteenth century; currently, this species has taken hold in Europe, so much so that it has even been replaced, in some areas, by the Germanic species.

The Japanese medlar tree is a more impressive tree than the European one: it can reach heights of over 8 meters, sometimes 10, and it can also extend in width. The leaves that cover the branches are hard, leathery, with a consistency comparable to the cardboard, and very large; these have an intense green tint on the dorsal page, while the inner part appears more tenuous and ferruginous, sometimes whitish. The flowers are white, with a fragrance comparable to that of the hawthorn, and are localized in the terminal zone of the branches: the very particular flowering coincides roughly with the first cold of winter.

The most interesting part is certainly represented by the fruits, the Japanese medlars: these are white, yellow or orange, and contain one or two large brown seeds, hidden in the yellowish pulp. The medlar seeds contain traces of hydrocyanic acid, therefore they are not edible; however, with the seeds of the medlar it is possible to prepare a liqueur (Nespolino), whose taste is comparable to the Nocino.

2. Japanese medlars: the problem of maturation

The Japanese medlars, unlike the European ones, can also be consumed when they are not completely ripe: the taste, although acidulous, is less astringent than the other species, therefore better tolerated. However, the main reason why these medlars are still sold unripe is related to market reasons: the aim of sellers is to make the most of their high cost (due to a lack of competition), propagating the taste of fruits like " normally acidulous ”. In reality, the mature Japanese medlar has a very sweet taste, but the maturation coincides precisely with the period of the first fruits of peaches and cherries, a fact that would clearly bring down the price of medlars: in similar situations, the ripe medlars would no longer be fruits “commercially interesting. "

3. Japanese medlars: uses

The Japanese medlars are mostly used in the culinary field: as we have seen, with the seeds can be prepared tasty liqueurs, while with the pulp you can cook sweet jams. Again, bees are attracted by medlar flowers - due to the lack of other flowers in that period (December-January) - which they exploit for the production of honey.

Loquats in brief, Summary on the properties of the Medlar »