All About Loquat
Want the lowdown on loquats? When you bite into a loquat you’ll experience a sweet and juicy apricot-like flesh with just a few inedible seeds at the core. Their skin is an orangey-yellow closely resembling the fuzzy texture of a peach. These pear-shaped fruits grow in clusters and are about 1-2 inches long.
Intrigued? Be prepared to know more about loquat than you ever imagined!
Loquats feel a lot like an apricot on the outside because of their smooth, thin peel and inviting color. Loquat’s flavor is sweet and tangy with a pleasantly sour kick. When fully ripe, loquat fruit texture is soft yet juicy.
Even though their appearance and flavor is often compared to stone fruits, loquats actually belong to the pome family of fruits. They’re more closely related to apples and pears, especially because of their seed core. Loquats have a cluster of easily removed seeds at the center. When you slice one of these tiny fruits open, the seeds look a lot like the shape of a mangosteen!
Loquats are green until ripe, when they turn a pale, blushy orange color. A loquat is ripe when none of the original green color remains on the skin. When squeezed gently, the fruit will be a little soft, much like a peach. And while they’re pretty tiny, a ripe loquat will feel heavy for its size in your hand.
Loquats go well in fruit salads, eaten on their own, alongside a cheese or charcuterie tray, and into desserts. Try using loquats as a substitute for peaches or apricots in cakes, tarts, and pies. The
Loquats grow in warm climates all over the world, including China, Japan, the Mediterranean basin, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Kenya, India, Iran, and the United States.
In the U.S., they grow in warmer states like Hawaii, California, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. In California you can typically find Loquat wherever you find avocados growing.
Loquats grow in warm climates all over the world, including China, Japan, the Meditteranean basin, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Kenya, India, Iran, and the United States.
In the U.S., they grow in warmer states like Hawaii, California, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. In California you can typically find Loquat wherever you find avocados growing.