Quince

IN TERMS OF SHAPE, some say the fruit looks like a pear or an apple, but the flesh is grainy, astringent and firm, even when the fruit is ripe, and it cannot be eaten fresh. Therefore, the best way to use marmelo (how it is called in Portuguese) is to make marmelada (i.e., quince paste). The traditional recipe from Luziania region, in the Brazilian state of Goiás, was included in Arca do Sabor (Ark of Taste), a movement aimed at identifying and disseminating food at risk of disappearing. Besides the paste, quince can also be used in jams and liqueurs. When cooked with water and sugar, the fruit becomes soft and develops a beautiful reddish hue. In Brazil, this plant native to Asia is mostly cultivated in the states of Goiás, Rio Grande do Sul and Minas Gerais (considered the national capital of quince), and harvested in December and January.