Create a cream of medlar and accompany it with the scalded prawns: a delight!
Origin
Loquat is a fruit with very ancient origins, I millennium b.c., and they are originally from the Caspian Sea area. It spread in Italy and Greece immediately and in the Middle Ages, thanks to its numerous properties, it was used as a medicine against fever and intestinal problems. Around the 18th / 19th century loquats started to be used as an ingredient, especially in China and Japan. In Europe it remained a rare fruit, because there were few economic advantages and few cultivations. The variety we eat is the Japanese one, whose plants have now adapted to European climate. It ripens around June.
Cookit
Loquats have long ripening times and they can be eaten once they are yellow, soft and with a smooth peel. The most common variety is the Japanese one, with a slightly acid taste, ideal to accompany sugary dishes like liquor and desserts. Besides the fact that they are very neglected in various cuisines, they can be combined with main courses, like with chicken and prawns.
Did you know
With this fruit you need to be patient! It takes a long time for loquats trees to bear fruits, between 8 and 10 years and once you pick the fruit, they can’t be eaten immediately but you need to wait 2-3 weeks. In Italy they are still cultivates, especially in the city of Trabia, Palermo, where every year there is a dedicated fair to celebrate this fruit.
