The fruits of the medlar have a good taste, they can be used both fresh and processed. Medlar grows in many countries of the world, while its two varieties are grown - Germanic and Japanese medlar. Despite the similarity in the name, there are many differences between them.
German medlar and Japanese medlar are much farther from each other in terms of kinship than, for example, different varieties of apples. Belonging to the Rosaceae family, they nevertheless belong to different genera. The Germanic medlar belongs to the genus Mespilus and is its only representative. Its Japanese relative belongs to the genus Eriobotrya. It includes about thirty species of plants, but only one is cultivated.
The Germanic medlar got its name clearly undeservedly, since it originates from South-West Asia and South-East Europe. It was brought to Germany by the Romans, later the epithet "Germanic" became the specific name of the plant. This tree is 2-5 meters tall, its fruits reach several centimeters in size, are reddish-brown in color and ripen in autumn. They can be eaten fresh, but they become really tasty only after they lie down for a while. You can speed up the ripening process by freezing them.
Medlar is cultivated in countries with warm and temperate climates. In particular, it is grown in the Caucasus. Due to its specific taste, the fruits of the German medlar are widely used in the confectionery industry.
Unlike its relative, the Japanese medlar ripens in the spring, which is quite unusual. Outwardly, it looks like bushes or small trees, due to its rather beautiful appearance, the Japanese medlar is often used for decorative purposes.
The fruits of the Japanese medlar are much more delicious, they can be eaten fresh. It was the good taste of the Japanese medlar that determined its great demand; this plant is cultivated in many countries of the world. The size of fruits in its cultivated varieties reaches 8 cm in diameter, in wild species up to 3-4 cm. On the Black Sea coast, the Japanese loquat blooms in late autumn and early winter. Thanks to such an early flowering, ripe fruits appear in April-May.
