The Quintessential Quince Trivia Quiz

Answer: Apples and Pears

The quince is a native plant of south-west Asia. It grows on a small deciduous tree which can reach as high as eight metres. Its fruit, when ripe, is bright yellow and has the same shape as a pear. The flesh of the fruit is slightly bitter and has a strong perfume.

Answer: Turkey

Turkey, in fact, produces more than a quarter of the world's demand for quince. Its climate is ideal for the cultivation of the fruit.

Answer: Song of Solomon

The reason for this belief is that many ancient literary references to an apple have turned out to be quinces instead. The Song of Solomon, found in the Old Testament, is a beautiful description of a man's love for a woman and spans a time period from courtship to consummation.

The apple reference can be found, for example, in this quote by the woman so desired: "As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste".

The bible is full of exquisite poetical references such as these, and indeed has been known to make a few scholars of the bible somewhat uneasy in its hearty and somewhat lusty exchanges. However, to ease their scruples, it has also been likened to a beautiful allegory of the relationship between God and Israel.

It is also believed by many that the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden was actually a quince.

Answer: Weddings

The ancient Greeks believed that it was Aphrodite who introduced the quince to them, hence its use at weddings. Aphrodite was the Greek goddess of love, beauty and sexuality. It became customary for a Greek bride to nibble on the sweetly perfumed flesh of a quince before entering the bridal chamber on her wedding night, "in order that the first greeting may not be disagreeable or unpleasant".

It seemed, on the other hand, that the groom could smell as bad as he liked. He probably chomped on the roasted leg of an ox instead.

It is also believed that it was a quince Atalanta paused for in her legendary race.

Answer: Left them to over ripen on the vine

If it is left to over ripen so that it may be eaten raw, although quince is resistant to frost, it should be picked before the first real frost arrives. Many varieties of the fruit are specifically used to make jams, jellies and preserves however. If this is the case, these quinces are deliberately left on the vine for the frost to attack them. The fruit is then said to be "bletted".

Answer: The lower corner of the vegetable garden

In Europe, quinces were never grown in large amounts, but it became customary there to always plant a couple among all the other fruit trees in an orchard, particularly close to any apple trees. When this was translated to the New World, the vegetable garden became the choice location instead.

This was because of the very many products that can be made from this fruit - jams, puddings, pies, medicines, wines, tea enhancers and so forth.

Answer: Fireblight

This is a contagious disease which is becoming a real concern to producers of apple and pear trees. In fact, if left uncontrolled, it can destroy whole orchards of fruit. So far in Australia, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay, the disease is non-existent. In Australia in particular, the quince grows prolifically and in some cases it has grown wild. Japan was also thought to be free of the disease, but recently, in spite of its existence being denied by the authorities there, it has been discovered in northern Japan.

The Japanese scientist who discovered it killed himself when his name was made public.

Answer: Hair styling product

This is an excellent idea if you use that sort of stuff: a nice natural product for a change. In other South American countries, quince is cooked up into a paste called dulce de membrillo and used as a spread on sandwiches, or as a dip. In Portugal it's turned into a pudding and in Hungary it is actually turned into quince cheese.

In Syria it's mixed with pomegranate paste and baked into pies, or as a spread on meat dishes. Yum. Cooked with sugar, where its flesh turns bright red, it is used in various desserts in Dalmatia and Croatia. What a remarkable little fruit.

Answer: Faster maturity and increased fruit production

How amazing is that? Because it actually dwarfs the growth of the pear tree, it forces the tree to produce much more fruit than it usually does, but without affecting the taste. It also reduces the amount of vegetative growth on the tree and replaces it instead with more fruit bearing branches.

Answer: Cough medicine

Fascinating, isn't it? And a very efficient cough medicine it is too. It is also used in this region to ease sore throats. Because it is alcohol-free, it is commonly used for children in particular. In Malta, a teaspoon of quince jam, mixed in a cup of boiling water, is used to relieve upset stomachs.

In Iran and Afghanistan, the product from the quince seed is used to relieve symptoms of pneumonia and other lung diseases.