The loquat
(Eriobotrya japonica
) is a fruit tree in the family Rosaceae, indigenous to southeastern China. It was formerly thought to be closely related to the genus Mespilus
, and is still sometimes known as the Japanese medlar
.
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LOQUAT TICKETS
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Description
It is an
evergreen large
shrub or small
tree, with a rounded crown, short trunk and woolly new twigs. The tree can grow to 5-10 m tall, but is often smaller, about 3-4 m.
The
leaves are alternate, simple, 10-25 cm long, dark green, tough and leathery in texture, with a serrated margin, and densely velvety-hairy below with thick yellow-brown pubescence; the young leaves are also densely pubescent above, but this soon rubs off.
Loquats are unusual among fruit trees in that the
flowers appear in the autumn or early winter, and the fruits are ripe in late winter or early spring. In Northern California, loquats bear fruit in May, while in Southern California, loquats bear fruit in April. The flowers are 2 cm diameter, white, with five petals, and produced in stiff
panicles of three to ten flowers. The flowers have a sweet, heady aroma that can be smelled from a distance.
Loquat fruits, growing in clusters, are oval, rounded or pear-shaped, 3-5 cm long, with a smooth or downy, yellow or orange, sometimes red-blushed skin. The succulent, tangy flesh is white, yellow or orange and sweet to subacid or acid, depending on the
cultivar. Each fruit contains five ovules, of which one to five mature into large brown seeds. The skin, though thin, can be peeled off manually if the fruit is ripe.
The fruits are the sweetest when soft and yellow.
Use
Image:BlossomingLoquat.jpg
|left|thumb|Loquat in flower. This is a
cultivar intended for home-growing, where the flowers open gradually, and thus the fruit also ripens gradually, compared to the commercially grown species where the flowers open almost simultaneously, and the whole tree's fruit also ripens together.
The loquat is comparable with its distant relative, the
apple, in many aspects, with a high sugar, acid and
pectin content. It is eaten as a fresh fruit and mixes well with other fruits in fresh fruit salads or fruit cups. Firm, slightly immature fruits are best for making pies or tarts. The fruits are also commonly used to make
jam,
jelly, and
chutney, and are often served poached in light
syrup.
Loquat syrup is used in
Chinese medicine for soothing the throat like a
cough drop. The leaves, combined with other ingredients and known as
pipa gao
(???; pinyin:
pípágao; literally "loquat paste"), it acts as a
demulcent and an
expectorant, as well as to soothe the digestive and respiratory systems. Loquats can also be used to make light wine.
Like most related plants, the seeds (pips) and young leaves of the plant are slightly poisonous, containing small amounts of cyanogenetic glycocides which release
cyanide when digested, though the low concentration and bitter flavour normally prevents enough being eaten to cause harm.
Image:Loquat leaf.JPG
|left|thumb|A loquat leaf, shown at a high magnification, illustrating the general appearance of the leaf and the structure of the
venation.
History
The Loquat is a fruit of Southeastern Chinese origin. It was introduced into
Japan and became
naturalised there in very early times, and has been cultivated there for over 1,000 years. It has also become naturalised in
India, the whole
Mediterranean Basin and many other areas. Chinese immigrants are presumed to have carried the loquat to
Hawaii.
The Loquat was often mentioned in ancient Chinese literature, such as the poems of
Li Bai. In
Portuguese literature, it is mentioned since before the
Age of Discovery.
[1]
Eaten in quantity, loquats have a gentle but noticeable sedative effect, with effects lasting up to 24 hours.
Production
Japan is a leading producer of loquats (January to June), followed by
China (March to July).
They are also grown in the
Mediterranean region (for example in
Cyprus,
Egypt.
France where they are called néfliers du Japon (http://tous-les-fruits.com/photos/lrey/photo-31.html),
Israel,
Italy,
Albania,
Lebanon,
Malta,
Spain, Morocco, Algeria,
Portugal,
Syria, and
Turkey), as well as in
Armenia,
Abkhazia,
Australia,
Bermuda (where they are commonly made into jam),
Brazil,
India,
New Zealand, and
Pakistan. In
Cyprus they are called mespila whereas in
Greece they are called mousmoula and in
Crete, in the local dialect they are called despoles (d?sp??e?). Loquats are common in Madagascar, mainly in the highlands in the middle of the country; the Malagasy name is
Pibasy
.This tree can also be found in
Chile,
Guatemala. It also grows in Mexico, Central and South America, the American South, South Crimea and
Sochi.
Cultivation
The Loquat is easy to grow and is often also grown as an
ornamental tree; it was commonly grown in
California by the 1870s. It also thrives in the
humid south-east Texas (Houston) climate, as well as all over
Israel. The tree is also popular in Africa, particularly Mediterranean-like climatic regions, like those in
Cape Town,
Western Cape,
South Africa. The boldly textured foliage adds a tropical look to gardens, contrasting well with many other plants. There are many named cultivars, with orange or white flesh
[2]
Etymology
The name loquat derives from
lou4 gwat1
, the
Cantonese pronunciation of its old classical Chinese name (
simplified Chinese:
??;
traditional Chinese:
??;
pinyin: lújú, literally "reed orange"). In modern Chinese, it is more commonly known as
pipa
(
Chinese:
??;
pinyin: pípá), from the resemblance of its shape to that of the Chinese musical instrument
pipa (??). Likewise, in
Japanese it is called
biwa
, similarly named from the corresponding musical instrument,
biwa. It is also known as the "Japanese
medlar", an appellation used in many languages:
nêspera
or
magnório
(
Portuguese),
níspero
(
Spanish),
lokaat
(
Hindi),
japanska mušmula
or
nešpula
(
Croatian),
naspli
(
Maltese),
nespola
(
Italian), náspolya (Hungarian),
nespra
(
Catalan),
nèfle du Japon
or
bibasse
(
French). Other names include:
sheseq
(
Hebrew), ?????????
Askidinya
,
Akkidinya
,
Aki Dini
,
Igadinya
or
Bashmala
????? (
Arabic),
Akkadeneh
or
Akka Dhuniya
(
Lebanese),
zger
or
Nor Ashkhar
(
Armenian),
mushmala
(
Georgian),
mushmolla verore
(summer medlar) (
Albanian),
mousmoula
or
mespilia
(
Greek),
Japanse (wol)mispel
(
Dutch),
yeni dünya
, or
Malta Erigi
in
Turkish. The Armenian name
Nor Ashkhar
and the Turkish name
yeni dünya
literally mean "new world", while the everyday Turkish name for the fruit,
Malta erigi
, means 'Maltese plum', indicating perhaps confusion over the fruit's origin. It is also called
lukwart
[3] in
Afrikaans.
Nutritional Value
The loquat is low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium, and is high in Vitamin A, Dietary Fiber, Vitamin B6, Potassium and Manganese.
See also
- Kumquat (Although Kumquats are not related botanically to Loquats, the two names share an origin in their old Chinese names.)
-
(Traditional Chinese).