The large extensions of greenhouses that we find in the town of Callosa D’En Sarrià in the Marina Baixa area are home to this fruit, originally from China and Japan, which has found the best acclimatisation in the Mediterranean basin due to its favourable climate.
Its exotic flavour together with a low calorie, fibre and water content, and a large amount of vitamin C, B and A which help to strengthen the immune system, give it high nutritional benefits, providing essential nutrients such as potassium, magnesium and calcium, essential to keep the organism in good condition and functioning correctly.
It is a seasonal fruit. Harvesting begins in March and it is in April, May and June that we can enjoy this prized natural delicacy. The cultivation calendar starts in June, when irrigation and fertilisation are carried out for an optimal recovery of the tree after the recent harvest. July and August are the quieter months, when the tree rests during the summer. September, October and November are the flowering season, with pruning and thinning of the flower panicles and hand thinning, one by one, of the flower clusters. Finally, in December and January, the fruit development phase begins and in January and February, the fruit is thinned out by hand, one by one, leaving 3-4 per bunch.
And, apart from eating it naturally, what else can we do with it?
Here are some recipes, taken from the official website of the loquat Regulatory Council, which will delight those with a sweet tooth:
