Loquat

This rather unknown fruit certainly has the potential to gain more attention. The plants belong to the rose family and form an evergreen shrub with dark green, hairy leaves. Of course, it's all about the oval, orange fruits with very juicy, aromatic, sweet and sour pulp, somewhat reminiscent of apricot, peach, and mango! The fruit contains 1-10 flattened, brown seeds, can be eaten out of hand or processed into fruit salads, fruit juices, compote, ice cream, and jam. In China and Taiwan, the fruits are canned. The Loquat can also survive in the temperate maritime climate of the Netherlands and Belgium, but for flowering, they need to be potted and moved into a greenhouse during winter. The fruit is offered on the market here, but often under the incorrect name medlar, which is the fruit of Mespilus germanicus, a related species. The plant is native to southeastern China and Japan, where it has been cultivated as a fruit tree for over 1000 years. Nowadays, the Loquat is grown worldwide in subtropical regions and tropical mountains. (text adapted from Wikipedia)

Names:
Latin: Eriobotrya japonica
Dutch: Loquat
Also known as: Japanese medlar
English: Loquat