Loquat
If You Read Nothing Else
Ripens before apricots and peaches. Skin peels with a thumb. Seeds aren't eaten. Good source of vitamin A.
Read the whole guide on one page →For much of Iran, loquat is the first tree fruit of the year. It has thin skin, juicy flesh, and large seeds you spit out.
Known to botanists as Eriobotrya japonica.
Loquat fills the quiet gap between winter citrus and summer stone fruit. Because it bruises so easily, eating one usually means enjoying something local and truly in season.
What Else to Know
Loquat is soft, easy to chew, low in sugar, and rich in carotenoids (the orange and yellow plant pigments your body can use) for eye and skin health. It's a gentle fruit for older adults, arriving just when little else is ripe.
Strong in carotenoids, which become vitamin A.
Water and pectin (a soft fibre in fruit that thickens jam), so it fills for few calories.