Medlars from Spain!

 I like to try fruit I've never eaten before. Usually it turns out to be a good experience--sometimes I regret it. I'm usually pretty careful. I don't want to eat something new and then look it up on google to read, "A delicious fruit with highly toxic seeds and skin..." 

Today I saw a new variety of something I don't remember ever seeing: Nespole (pronounced 'NES-po-lay). They're about the size of standard apricots.

Contrary to my usually cautious strategy with new fruit, I peeled and tasted one before finding out anything about it.  It was juicy, and quite sour--almost like a lemon in tartness. (A few days later they were all very sweet.)

In English, they're called medlars, or loquats.  I found an article about them from the NY Times describing them as "very sweet" and with lots of seeds.  The article also said they're very fragile and don't travel well so you won't find them far from where they're grown.  The label said these were from Spain--a hop and a skip from here. 

The ones we bought have only one seed each, similar in size to an apricot pit, but very soft.   Perhaps the ones we bought need to ripen a little more before there's any sweetness to report. 

I think we saw a tree of them on our way home from Church on Sunday.  The fruit on them was very green. I'll get a photo of them and update this entry after I take a picture.