QUINCE!

Fruit of the GODS (well, fruit of the Ancient Romans... which
basically means of the gods...).

The quince is actually pretty rad. It has a taste that I simply can't get enough of, that is most easily described as a cross between apple and pear. Most quince consumption is of the cooked fruit, as the raw one is quite astringent and tart. These fruits look quite similar to a pear but they're a bit lumpier and green, changing to a bright yellow as they approach maturity.

Cool facts? Tons!

1. Quince is native to warmer regions of Asia and it grows on a deciduous tree.
2. Quince is the sole member of the genus Cydonia. The ONLY one! How cool is that?!?
3. Both the ripened fruit and its flower smell crazy good, and can be used in perfume, honey, jams, preserves, etc...
4. Turkey ranks first in quince production at a quarter (despite the roots in Asia). Go turkey go! Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay are big quince growers as well.
5. Quince was considered to be a symbol of love in years past. We're working on bringing it back. You should too. Give a quince to your better half - or your intended better half -  as a symbol of commitment. If they don't quite understand your wildly generous gesture, just direct them to this post.
6. The word "marmalade" originally came from quince jam, derived from the Portuguese word for quince, "marmelo". Yum.

Quince is typically available in our neck of the woods from October through December, so you've got a month or so left to get your rump in here and enjoy it! I am more than happy to provide flavor pairing suggestions, but you can trust that quince is delicious on it's own. For the palate that desires more than one flavor, I suggest trying quince with cinnamon gelato, cranberry apple sorbetto, fior di latte, or perhaps macadamia. Let's eat!