In the French Revolutionary Calendar today is the Day of Quince. 10 things you might not know about quince:
The scientific name for quince is Cydonia oblonga, and it is the only member of the genus Cydonia. The genus is part of the rose family, meaning quince is closely related to Apples and Pears.
Quinces are native to the Caucasus and Western and Central Asia. Wild trees grow in Azerbaijan, Iran, southwestern Russia and Turkmenistan.
The flowers of the quince tree are a pretty pale Pink, so the trees are sometimes planted in gardens for ornamental reasons.
The fruit is golden yellow and resembles a cross between an apple and a pear. It emits a sweet and floral scent rather like a combination of apples, pears, and citrus.
It is a good source of dietary fibre, vitamins C and E, potassium, and antioxidants.
The biggest quince producers are Turkey and China accounting for 43% of the world total in 2021.
In Turkey, the expression "to eat the quince" means an unpleasant situation because of the rather bitter aftertaste of a quince fruit inside the mouth. In Greek mythology, it represents love and fertility, while in other places, it represents happiness and prosperity.
One popular use for quince is to make a sweet and tangy paste known as “membrillo.” This paste is served with Cheese or used as a filling in pastries.
Marmalade was originally a word used for quince preserves. The Portuguese word for the fruit is marmelo, from the Ancient Greek melimelon, or “honey-apple.”
Quince was once used as a natural source of pectin, a thickening agent for jams, jellies and other confections, before gelatin was widely available.
NEW!!
Beta
(Combat Team Series #2)
Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?
Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.
Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream.
Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.
Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.
Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.
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