Did you eat loquats growing up?
Posted by o_safadinho@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 548 comments
If so, when did you usually pick them?
Posted by o_safadinho@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 548 comments
If so, when did you usually pick them?
Quillsive@reddit
I don’t think I’ve even heard of those.
MoveTraditional555@reddit
I came here to say “what?”
Horzzo@reddit
I lived all over the country and I never heard of them.
Wewagirl@reddit
They used to be called Japanese plums.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Loquat trees are supposed to be pretty common in Charleston.
Frosty_Ninja3286@reddit
Also common in New Orleans. Except here most people called them Japanese Plums
11twofour@reddit
They look really good. How much fruit is in each one? Like, is the pit enormous and just a tiny amount of flesh on each one?
brzantium@reddit
The loquats I've picked are anywhere from ping-pong to golf ball sized fruits. The seed is maybe twice the size of a cherry pit. You're not going to be biting into these like an apple or a peach, but it does pack a lot of flavor. They're quite tart and ever so slightly sweet. Like bananas, you want to get the yellow ones and some spotting is ok.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
It depends on the variety, they aren’t true to seed so if you find them in the wild they’re all slightly different. Some varieties have really big fruits. They can have big seeds but I think there is a good amount of flesh too.
brzantium@reddit
I lived in Charleston for several years as a kid. I likely saw loquat trees, but couldn't tell you what they were. It wasn't until several years later and several states over that I knew what they were called and that I could eat them.
SteveCastGames@reddit
I lived there for two years and never heard of them. Interesting.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
A reminder that loquats are delicious.
Optimal-Ad-7074@reddit
we had a loquat tree in pretoria (not eligible to answer the op question as not american, but chiming in). can confirm. they've got a seed like a lychee, but the flesh is sort of custardy and the skin is edible. tasted a bit like a mild peach or apricot, but less tart.
RianThe666th@reddit
I grew up there and didn't know about them till I was 20 doing a tour of a garden downtown, quite tasty, unfortunately moved away only a few months later
dj4slugs@reddit
Exactly, usually eat from low hanging branches down town.
ryuwesleyrose@reddit
I had a tree in my elementary school garden and when I moved out of California I was so sad to learn they’re not common at all.
Akovsky87@reddit
Oddly enough I had a loquat tree when I lived in Maine.
The_Lumox2000@reddit
That's because this is clearly a guerilla marketing post by Big Loquat
RupeThereItIs@reddit
46 years old, I could not identify one if I tried.
Never have I ever had one.
lwp775@reddit
Nope
Turkeyoak@reddit
I ate loquats every chance I got. I remember riding my bike to the post office because they had trees with low branches for easy picking.
I also eat every ripe prickly pear fruit I see. But you have to peel the thorns off first.
TheBimpo@reddit
A what?
GrunchWeefer@reddit
Sounds dirty. "I could eat a loquat for hours".
vanwiekt@reddit
Even dirtier if one was to say “ I could eat your loquat for hours” 🤤😏
PmMeYourAdhd@reddit
I grew up in central Florida and they grew wild in my neighborhood and really all over the central Florida area. I've eaten a few but never really cared for them. A lot of my friends ate them off trees as we were out running around the neighborhood. I always preferred the various oranges and orange-adjacent fruits, which were also plentiful in the area, if I felt like picking and eating a fruit randomly. Cant recall when the loquats are best though in terms of time of year.
d_nicky@reddit
There was a tree on my block that used to grow them and I would pick and eat them sometimes when I was playing outside. I grew up in LA. There was a lot of fruit and stuff that grew in the neighborhood - oranges, figs, kumquats, avocados, lemons - and I'd eat them sometimes. Tbh none of it tasted very good except the loquats lol.
Drew707@reddit
Is this like a kumquat?
OldSouthGal@reddit
No, kumquats are in the citrus family. Loquats are a sweet subtropical fruit.
Drew707@reddit
Well, that's quat interesting!
IolantheRose@reddit
From my understanding; lo- is quat sweet and kum-is quat sour
Drew707@reddit
Is there an umami quat?
IolantheRose@reddit
In my head... .an umami quat is somehow a spider egg sack. Otherwise known as a nope-quat
OodalollyOodalolly@reddit
I don’t know go ask umami
THE_CENTURION@reddit
Meatballs
brzantium@reddit
that's funny, most loquats i've had have been quite tart.
IolantheRose@reddit
I may have it backwards lol but I swear a chef in culinary school described it in a similar way. I've never had the opportunity to try them.
theflamingskull@reddit
That shows that I don't know quat.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Definitely not!
Drew707@reddit
First time I think I'm seeing the word.
sleepyj910@reddit
Same
momofdragons3@reddit
No, a kumquat is a citrus type fruit. A loquat is kinda/maybe like a tiny apricot? Sort of?
I've seen them in Central to Southern California. And they're good. Bruise easily, but tasty.
Drew707@reddit
Looking at the wiki, I may have seen them before and just assumed they were some kind of persimmon.
YogurtclosetBroad872@reddit
This was my first thought too
rarepinkhippo@reddit
We had a great loquat tree for a while (landlord recently insisted on cutting it down, R.I.P. loquat) and I’d never had a loquat until well into adulthood. I have been missing out, those things are delicious!!! When we still had the tree the birds would get a lot of them but whenever I had one I savored that shit. Fellow Americans who’ve never eaten a loquat: Try it! It’s like if an apricot were actually good.
(We’re in California so we back up your thesis.)
Ok_Orange1920@reddit
I read that as “locusts” lmao
manhattanabe@reddit
They have them in the supermarket in NYC for a short season every year. Can’t say I ate them regularly.
AllYallCanCarry@reddit
Mississippi erasure. Again
More_Possession_519@reddit
I grew up in Southern California and never had them. I don’t think I’d even heard of them until I was in my twenties.
blue_abyss_@reddit
I live in Florida, we had a tree of them in our yard.
LOVE THEM! They are delicious but a bit of a pain to eat, I think you can eat the skin but I always peeled them.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
You can eat the skin. I never peeled them!
Disastrous-Mess-7236@reddit
Texan here. What’s a loquat?
Shot-Artichoke-4106@reddit
Yes. I'm pretty sure our trees were ripe in the summer. I'm in California.
ThisIsItYouReady92@reddit
Where? I’ve never heard of those here in Southern California. Ever. Uncommon
Shot-Artichoke-4106@reddit
For the most part I grew up on the central coast and they are pretty common there. We lived in Ventura county for a while too and we had a tree in our yard there.
sysaphiswaits@reddit
Yes. They grew wild all over my neighborhood. Southern California.
ThisIsItYouReady92@reddit
Wow I’ve never heard of them and I grew up here in SoCal.
littlemsshiny@reddit
YES! My grandma had a big loquat tree in her backyard in LA. I never knew the name of them until I was in college. Then my first apartment after grad school had several smaller loquat trees in the courtyard.
ThisIsItYouReady92@reddit
The fuck? I’m in OC and have lived here my whole life and never heard of them
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Picking loquats from my grandparents tree is a core memory of my childhood.
Question, around what month would you pick them? I could have sworn growing up that I would start picking them in December, but the loquats on my tree aren’t ready yet.
Round_Walk_5552@reddit
I grew up like an hour from Tampa (spring hill) and we had a tree in the yard so this checks out
ThisIsItYouReady92@reddit
In California we don’t eat loquats. Wtf?
xiaomayzeee@reddit
No, but my family had loquat syrup for when we had bad coughs.
Brother_To_Coyotes@reddit
I moved to Florida later so no but I’m practically Johnny Loquat seed now. I’ve planted them on every property I’ve ever owned here and give away/sell trees. Not a lot of fruit trees thrive in the subtropics so this one is a blessing.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
What types of trees do you sell?
Brother_To_Coyotes@reddit
We primarily sell trees for residential landscaping. Loquat is popular because it’s evergreen and hardy.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Lots of fruit trees thrive in the Subtropics! They just aren’t things that are generally popular with Americans.
I’m not sure what part of the state you’re in, but you should check out the Food Forrest at Snyder Park in Fort Lauderdale or the Fruit and Spice park in Dade County.
Brother_To_Coyotes@reddit
I’m right on the frost belt.
TR3BPilot@reddit
I'm waiting for this year's crop to try and make a loquat pie. It may be more delicious in my imagination than fact. We will see.
EverySingleMinute@reddit
Never heard of a loquat. What is it?
Cyoarp@reddit
Not growing up, these are very uncommon in America however, they grow from trees that are all over New Orleans. They don't make fruit during Mardi gras so most people don't know about them but if you're living there you can just pick them off trees as you walk around. I lived there for about a year doing disaster relief we did not have much money, there were some days where me and my team would pick loquats and eat them as snack because we only had enough money to buy actual meals.
devilbunny@reddit
Any resources for where to find some that are in public spaces? I go to New Orleans a lot.
Cyoarp@reddit
They used to just grow all over.
Unfortunately I haven't been to New Orleans since around 2009
Wewagirl@reddit
Common in Florida too. They are used quite a bit as ornamentals. I love to eat them!
Cyoarp@reddit
They are ornamentals in NOLa as well.
agiamba@reddit
Misbelief fruits!
Cyoarp@reddit
Sorry what?
agiamba@reddit
That's what Sicilians called/call em around here
Frosty_Ninja3286@reddit
They were always known as Japanese Plums by everyone I knew
miki-wilde@reddit
My granny in Louisiana called them Ms. B Leaf's trees and we'd get in trouble if she caught us stealing her fruit. Ms. B never caught us and we kept eating them cause, well, we were kids and they were tasty. We called them sour patch trees as kids. Once I got a little older and figured out the pun I learned that she told us that to keep us from traipsing through peoples' yards. I miss that cooky ol lady.
ClearlyADuck@reddit
Not really. In CA they're common decorative trees so my mom has picked and eaten them, but even when we go back to China no one really eats them, though it's more common. I'd imagine if they're not that popular among Asians then Westerns probably don't know them at all, though I can't really speak for SEAs.
Zagaroth@reddit
I grew up in California, she i do not know what a loquat is.
trinite0@reddit
I'd never even heard of a loquat until I was an adult.
funatical@reddit
I’ve turned them into wine. It was meh.
StrawberryKiss2559@reddit
I didn’t grow up eating them. But they do grow in Austin, Texas. I’ve had them fresh off the tree there. One of my neighbors grew them, and there was a brewery that had them just growing on their lot.
kyliztu@reddit
Nope, not in Texas.
winksoutloud@reddit
Yes, once a friend in elementary school showed me they were edible. We ate them off a tree on the way from school. (California)
scaredofmyownshadow@reddit
I ate them a lot growing up. My uncle is from Thailand and there were usually some around his / my aunt’s house, which I spent a lot of time at. I don’t know where he got them, but he co-owned a local produce company so I’m sure he had no difficulty finding them. They were probably relatively expensive, but he likes them. Loquats are good, but not my favorite fruit and I don’t seek them out myself, but I’ll eat them if they’re available. They might be sold at some specialty supermarkets, like Asian markets, Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc.
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
In the right area they grow as weeds on slopes and other untended areas. The homeless love them
klattklattklatt@reddit
East Bay, we ate loquats growing up. In SF now and there's loquat trees all over in the city.
Humble_Plate_2733@reddit
Also East Bay, and they were in a lot of front yards. Only some people had the magic powers to make them fruit A LOT, and those tended to be the people who actually ate them. Everyone else just left them to the birds or for ornamentation.
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
I mostly ignore mine and it bears by the bucketfill. Genetic variation i think. The city puts fly traps on it every year.
niahpapaya@reddit
San Joaquin Valley, we had them, too.
UncleNad@reddit
Stanislaus checking in. There were a few around here. No orchards or anything, but here and there.
NekoArtemis@reddit
I had to scroll so far to find someone else who knows what they are. Grew up with a loquat tree next to my house. Never ate them tho. Didn't know you could til after we moved. (Also California.)
Wewagirl@reddit
Oh, what a shame. They are delicious! And such a pretty tree, too.
Howdysf@reddit
Also grew up with a loquat tree and ate them, also Southern California
Kaurifish@reddit
Most people just let the fruit rot, which is sad.
sproutsandnapkins@reddit
NorCal here. Grew up eating lots of unusual things, but never a loquat.
winksoutloud@reddit
What part? I was SF East Bay. Maybe there's a max latitude in which it can grow
clunkclunk@reddit
I grew up in the Sacramento area and don’t remember them at all. Maybe too hot or too cold? Here in Fremont though we have a bunch in our neighborhood. We even had one when we bought our house but it didn’t bear fruit for 5 years so we took it out.
Considering they’re originally from China, and we have a large Chinese population in the Bay Area - I wonder if there’s a connection there, and it’s not just climate.
sproutsandnapkins@reddit
Bay Area and Sonoma. It’s possible that someone had a loquat tree, but no one I knew. Lots of apple trees, lemon trees and blackberry bushes but I honestly don’t remember much yard grown fruit otherwise. We had a fig tree and I don’t really remember it having figs. Kinda strange now that I think about it.
Terradactyl87@reddit
I had a tree in my backyard growing up in San Diego, so I ate a lot of them. I would love to get a tree again someday, but now I'm in Washington and it wouldn't survive here. I'm surprised at how few people even know what they are.
ZealousidealQuail145@reddit
Same exact situation for me. Walked home from school daily. Loquat tree in the yard of a house on the way home. Friend told me they were yummy (true) and from then on always ate them on the way home from school (Southern California)
cream-of-cow@reddit
Northern California Bay Area, practically every house in my neighborhood has one or two loquat trees planted around mid century.
ariaxwest@reddit
There were multiple trees in my yard as a child. Only the kids ate them. Adults disdained them, unless they were harvesting them for pet parrots. Central coast of California.
moonwillow60606@reddit
Nope. Grew up in NC and never had them.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Hm, they’re really common in South Carolina (or at least Charleston) I just assumed they’d be common up there as well.
dr_strange-love@reddit
Other people have said they bruise easily. That pretty much eliminates it as a fruit that can be stored and shipped in industrial quantities outside of where it grows.
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
Also big seeds, and they don't graft or root well, so they're very variable in terms of sweetness. Ripe loquats ship much better than ripe peaches. Which is why storebought peaches are inedible.
ThrowawayMod1989@reddit
They don’t handle low temps very well. The NC coast gets quite a bit cooler than Charleston and for a longer period of time. Our southernmost coastal area is listed on some maps of where it will grow. I definitely haven’t seen any down that way though.
agiamba@reddit
They're common in New Orleans. The Sicilian American population used to call them misbelief fruits https://nolachic.blog/2023/04/27/misbelief-fruit-a-nola-tradition/
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Interesting
Zziggith@reddit
I've lived in the Charleston area since '99 and I don't know what these are.
dj4slugs@reddit
Go downtown in the spring. Many of the older houses have them. Pick off low hanging branches.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
https://www.instagram.com/p/C6Rd-djrF7t/?igsh=dzdwcDQ3amQ0Nmlw
C5H2A7@reddit
I just moved from SC and never saw them there! I wonder if it's an iykyk kind of thing to find them lol
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
I’ve put a link to a thread from the Charleston sub to other responses in this post. You can find them all over the city!
C5H2A7@reddit
Just Charleston? I read it as they're common across SC. I definitely didn't spend much time in Charleston, that's probably why then
AcrobaticAd4464@reddit
I’m from Upstate South Carolina and have never come across loquats in this state. Besides which, they’re native to China.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Here is a thread from r/Charleston talking about where you can find some.
the_quark@reddit
I grew up in Savannah and I don't think I've heard of them.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
A reminder that loquats are delicious
moonwillow60606@reddit
I’ve also got a ton of family in the low country and we never had them. Are they similar to any other local fruits?
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Loquat season in Charleston is here!
Adorable_Dust3799@reddit
Never did growing up, but i now have an excellent tree. Extra sweet, and the seeds are as huge as some
DingoFlamingoThing@reddit
The fucks a loquat?
Hairymeatbat@reddit
Not much, what's a loquat with you?
Pumpkin_Spic_latte@reddit
My dad had a few trees on our old home. We called them "Misperos" in Mexico. I'm not sure when they were ripe down there, but in California our trees were ready to harvest in May/Early June. I miss them so much. I bought some trees online for our new house that came from Georgia but they had root rot. Multiple trees sent all with the same issue. Never attempted to buy any more again.
Give-Me-Plants@reddit
No, I can’t even picture what a loquat looks like.
Ana_Na_Moose@reddit
Honestly, the idea that it was a fruit was not one I would have had.
Kinda sounds like a pokemon to me lol
KittyScholar@reddit
Perhaps you are thinking of Lotad
JohnMarstonSucks@reddit
Isn't that the active ingredient in Claritin
KittyScholar@reddit
No, that’s a character in a Dr. Seuss book about environmentalism. You’re thinking of a locust
nattyodaddy@reddit
Lokar, lone locust of the apocolypse
JenniferJuniper6@reddit
Potayto, potahto
Bitter-insides@reddit
When I moved to AZ I was give a Kumkuat - being Mexican I had no idea wtf it was.
Ana_Na_Moose@reddit
Being from Pennsylvania and now living in Maryland, I still haven’t a clue what that is lol
Bitter-insides@reddit
It’s part of the citrus family. Tiny little fruit. It doesn’t taste like orange maybe like a clementine ? I don’t remember it’s been about 15 years since I’ve had one. Don’t see them as often anymore
CascadianCaravan@reddit
Don’t eat the Pokémons!
Ana_Na_Moose@reddit
Even the one that is literally just ice cream?
stiletto929@reddit
I was thinking some kind of bug.
Stein1071@reddit
I always thought Futurama just made them up.
I honestly didn't think they were real.
TheForce_v_Triforce@reddit
I only learned what they are in recent years because a tree randomly popped up in my front yard growing them. Chinese Golden plums apparently, with 2 pits side by side. Weird, but tasty.
opheliainwaders@reddit
Same.
MellifluousSussura@reddit
For some reason I was picturing a potato, so you’re doing better than me I guess
yaredw@reddit
Yeah, had a tree in the backyard growing up in SoCal.
moddedbase_@reddit
My brother in Christ I have never heard of Loquats and I grew up in Central Florida.
YellojD@reddit
I had no idea these even existed until I worked for CDFA. I learned that lots of immigrants who have property in my city grow them in their backyard. They’re relatively low maintenance, abundant, and pretty high in calories. Fruit trees in general are pretty big in this area, though.
Persimmons were another one I hadn’t seen before and learned a lot about.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
What area?
YellojD@reddit
Sacramento area.
panplemoussenuclear@reddit
Loved them as a FL kid. We had one in our backyard and another at school.
AnchoviePopcorn@reddit
There was a tree at my school in Guatemala that I’d eat from. I never knew the name of the fruit. Took me like 20 yrs to figure it out.
uhmerikin@reddit
Yep. Texas coast(ish) here. I haven't had any in ages, but I do remember a neighbor had a few loquat trees and we'd pick a few off and snack on them as kids in the summer.
mermaid86@reddit
A what now
thedancingpanda@reddit
I didn't, but I had them in the yard of a house I rented. They're good!
Vic930@reddit
Yes. Delicious
sheilahulud@reddit
Grew up in Florida. Many people had them in their yards. Ate them on occasion.
EscapeNo9728@reddit
Grandparents used to live in central Florida, had a couple trees in their backyard
zeezle@reddit
I've only had them in processed forms (jam, frozen as a fruit in an ice cream bar, etc) from the Chinese supermarket. They don't even stock them fresh because they're so perishable. They don't grow up here without winter protection and if I recall correctly they don't do as well in containers as some other winter-protection-required species so they're less popular for home growers.
A_Lil_Potential2803@reddit
What on earth is a loquat?
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
A tasty subtropical fruit that grows in the Southern/coastal parts of the country.
pumpkin_pasties@reddit
California, yes
theapplepie267@reddit
Not growing up but oddly a lot of people have them growing in their yards. along with other weird fruits
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Where do you live?
theapplepie267@reddit
southern California
Wewagirl@reddit
I grew up on them, and planted a tree when I moved into my current home. I think that different varieties ripen at different times. My tree tends to ripen in July and August.
clunkclunk@reddit
We have some of them here in the SF Bay Area in our neighborhood. However I have no idea when they’re ready to harvest.
phord@reddit
Grew up in Florida. Never heard of them until I moved to California in my 50's. Didn't think to eat them until my Chinese girlfriend stopped to pick some by the roadway.
MattinglyDineen@reddit
This is the first time in my life I have encountered that word.
Original_Ant7013@reddit
Didn’t discover them until I went to China with my wife. Then we moved to Florida and they are everywhere. They are naturalizing themselves, I see them sprouting and growing in very random places.
Cowboywizard12@reddit
Never heard of them
maribelle-@reddit
We have a loquat tree at our new home…. Very excited about it! Grew up eating them at my grandparents house. In Los Angeles.
Frosty_Ninja3286@reddit
Yes indeed.
In New Orleans we called them japanese plums, we had a tree in our backyard.
There are trees in various neighborhoods around me, and when in season I will grab a few and eat them while out walking.
stangAce20@reddit
I have no idea what those are and I was B&R in CA
JimBones31@reddit
Never heard of them. Given the context, I'll assume they are similar to fiddleheads.
NekoArtemis@reddit
You're so far off. They're related to apples.
Ok_Sundae2107@reddit
They taste nothing like an apple.
NekoArtemis@reddit
Didn't think they did. But they're in the same family biologically. They're part of the pomoideae subfamily of rosaceae. So they're related to apples, pears, roses, etc. But saying they're related to apples gives a better idea of how they're different from fiddle heads than saying they're related to roses.
Ok_Sundae2107@reddit
Interesting. I would have thought there were a stone fruit because of the large pit inside.
JimBones31@reddit
Oh, okay. Fair enough. I'll add it to my personal vocabulary.
KometaCode@reddit
I looked them up and they are not like fiddleheads. I associate fiddleheads with Maine and cooler climates. We get them up there sometimes when we visit but it seems like Loquats are available in mostly coastal or tropical areas
JimBones31@reddit
Ahh, thank you!
KometaCode@reddit
You’re welcome! I’m jealous that you have easy access to fiddleheads also. I live on Long Island right now and I’ve never seen them here
JimBones31@reddit
During fiddlehead season you can see people pulling over and collecting because they like the ditches!
GoatJesusIsReal@reddit
Californian here. We had a big loquat tree because my dad is Brazilian and loved the things. I believe we ate in summer because I remember doing barbecues where loquats were picked and eaten.
Muderous_Teapot548@reddit
Backyard of my maternal grandparents' house...interestingly, my paternal grandparents had a kumquat tree, so I grew up eating those, too.
Kinkaypandaz@reddit
Grew up in Texas as a child. Are loquats and kumquats both are delicious
brzantium@reddit
I've spent most of my life in the South but never had a loquat until my late 20s when my wife (then girlfriend) introduced me to them. I had seen loquat trees growing up, but always assumed it was just some decorative but inedible fruit tree. Unfortunately, a lot of property owners around me have begun to remove their loquat trees - I don't know why - so they've been harder to find.
rawbface@reddit
I have never even heard of a loquat.
annaoze94@reddit
I did not and I still don't think I know what they are
DaisyDuckens@reddit
I love loquats. My grandpa had a tree and a place I rented had a tree too. I finally bought a house and planted a loquat tree. It’s finally starting to fruit.
GlobalTapeHead@reddit
While not currently living in the Deep South, I grew up there. My entire family on my dad’s side is still there, NC, SC, Georgia, TX. No, we did not eat loquat growing up.
Wonderful_Tip_5577@reddit
I have a tree in my front yard. San Diego.
figureground@reddit
Yes and still so. They're quite common. (Grew up in Georgia, since in Charleston SC, and many relatives in Florida). My MIL has a loquat tree in her back yard.
RedRatedRat@reddit
Carquinez Middle School, Crockett, CA. There are several trees on the grounds.
sewiv@reddit
Nope
resiyun@reddit
Never seen or heard of these things
OrdinarySubstance491@reddit
I always called them kumquat because that's what everyone called them. My husband, who is from Venezuela, insist they are loquats. According to google, he was right. They grow here in abundance. I'm in Texas. They're one of my favorites. I wish I had my own tree.
dngnb8@reddit
Yep
anathene@reddit
I only know of them and how delicious they are because i volunteered at the botanical garden and ran the booth where we had visitors taste the ones off the trees we grew. They were Amazing
Diggity20@reddit
No but have ate plenty of pawpaws
AgITGuy@reddit
Grew up in central Texas and my MeMe had a couple of them by her house. She would always make loquat jelly. It was really a great taste of home when I went to college and took jars and jars with me.
HorseFeathersFur@reddit
I’ve eaten a few in California but I’ve never seen them in the Carolina’s or any other southern state
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Very common in Florida and Louisiana. You’ll also find them in parts of Georgia and the Carolinas but it depends on the area apparently.
HorseFeathersFur@reddit
Well from the sounds of most of the people who live in the areas, it doesn’t sound common at all. It’s intersting that more Californians know what they are than southerners. By the way, have you ever had a paw-paw?
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
I have not.
HorseFeathersFur@reddit
Paw-paws are native to the southeast, unlike loquats.
Massive_Pineapple_36@reddit
Born and raised CA. Never heard of it
BottleTemple@reddit
I’ve never even heard of loquats.
gremlinguy@reddit
Had never even heard of them until I moved to Spain at 30, where they are called nisperos and are sold in the grocery store. My wife's favorite fruit.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
How do they get them to keep in the store? The ones I pick always bruise very easily and don’t travel well.
gremlinguy@reddit
Same way they do peaches and tomatoes, I suppose. Not sure. They are farmed at scale, they may have some specialized packaging or method of picking or something.
They also have persimmons (kakis) that are a similar texture, delicate, and they farm the shit out of those too.
CAAugirl@reddit
I don’t know what that is.
Puphlynger@reddit
A kid on a dare did eat one when we were growing up. It was a big one too, just sitting on a blade of tall grass chomping away. He snuck up on it, snatched it off that piece of grass, and pop the whole thing in his mouth and started chewing. I'll never forget his face as he choked it down. The worst thing was there was nothing to drink but creek water; duder didn't use his hands- he just shoved mouthhole into the water and just kept sucking it in. Spent the rest of the day bitching about how awful and crunchy that thing was and that he could still feel its legs moving around as he was masticating.
He was a little weird (like weird in a bad way) anyway so we stopped hanging out a little later on.
biggcb@reddit
Nope. Never heard of them.
mavynn_blacke@reddit
Lol, at first I thought you were saying if we DID grow up in those states we didn't eat them. I was like I literally had them growing in my front yard.
Yes, I have eaten a LOT of them. We used to dry and drill holes in the seeds to string like beads.
The12th_secret_spice@reddit
My grandpa has a kumquat tree in the backyard. I don’t remember when we picked them, want to say late winter/early spring.
Guilty_Objective4602@reddit
Loquat is different than kumquat.
The12th_secret_spice@reddit
Correct
Ok_Appointment4364@reddit
I grew up in Texas and have spent a bit of my life also living in the Carolina’s, Georgia, Florida, and Louisiana. I’ve never heard of loquat before
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
I am shocked. It is a very common landscaping tree across Florida. There is a public park near my house that is pretty much a loquat orchard because it has like 12 loquat trees.
DrunkScarletSpider@reddit
Used to have a tree of loquats in the front yard.
Frenchitwist@reddit
What the hell is a loquat??
And OP I see your thing about CA. I grew up in NorCal and never once encountered these.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Very common in Southern California apparently and even some in Northern California. People are saying they grow all over cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Frenchitwist@reddit
Must be street my time. I grew up in San Francisco
i-am-your-god-now@reddit
The fuck is that?
enigmanaught@reddit
Some people call them Japanese Plums. We didn’t have any in my neighborhood growing up, so never ate them at that point. Once I moved out of my hometown I did because they were everywhere.
Most people don’t eat them unless they have a tree, they don’t store well, and they’re only ripe for a short window.
PeanutterButter101@reddit
Today I learned loquats exist.
introvert-i-1957@reddit
Never heard of a loquat. Kumquats I've heard of, but never seen one.
my_clever-name@reddit
I don't think anything called a "loquat" is permitted to cross the Indiana state line.
I've never heard of them.
I've got one for you, did you eat Paw Paws growing up?
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Most definitely not!
rolyoh@reddit
Yes. We had a tree in our yard. They are quite tasty when ripe. I wish I could find them in stores where I live. Same with fresh figs. We had both green and black fig trees. They make great jam.
Illustrious-Lead-960@reddit
I want to say I’ve had some under the name Japanese pears but I’m not sure.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
They are also called Japanese plums!
Emily_Postal@reddit
No I don’t think they grow in NJ but I live in Bermuda right now and they are everywhere.
Particular-Move-3860@reddit
I don't understand the question. I have never heard that term (loquats) and don't know what it refers to. Could it be a typo?
Chance-Business@reddit
Is this like a pawpaw where you can only get them wild and in a very short time frame? Because grew up in pawpaw territory and I still have no idea where people would find them let alone eat them.
oo_sophiana_oo@reddit
I’ve had them only a handful of times. My neighbor did have a kumquat tree when I was growing up so I grew up eating those.
Cute_Watercress3553@reddit
I have never heard this word in my life.
theCaitiff@reddit
I grew up in Texas and Florida and ate a LOT of loquats as a kid. I couldnt tell you what time of year they were ripe, but they were just so common as a landscape tree in some areas of Florida that it seems like they were everywhere.
Unfortunately I have not had them in a few decades at this point. I remember them being sweet and jammy, but I couldn't describe the flavor.
You know how at some point just before puberty your brain turns on? You suddenly realize "wait a minute, if I try to jump from here I WILL get hurt" for a bit and then puberty hit and the hormones are suddenly driving? During that magical moment of clarity where I was able to think about actions having consequences, I realized I didn't actually know what these orange fruits I'd been eating off of random trees WERE. Then suddenly, despite having empirical proof that they wouldn't hurt me, my urge to eat unknown fruit off of random trees stopped.
So yeah, I ate a lot of them as a kid, but sometime in the early 90s I stopped and I've not had one since.
sammysbud@reddit
Yes! We had 3 trees growing up. One was quite large and we (as youngins) could climb like 15 feet in it.
Iirc correctly, they had fruit in the early summer. We’d hang out in the branches, peel them, eat them, then see how far we could spit the seeds. The ground was always littered with rotting ones, that gave off a very distinct smell that (to me) smells like summer.
It’s one of my favorite memories of growing up in south GA.
NoCaterpillar2051@reddit
Did I eat a what? Is that an endangered species?
BeenzandRice@reddit
Whut??
nicolby@reddit
I had a tree but never liked the loquat.
withsaltedbones@reddit
Yep! My grandparents in SoCal had a tree in their front yard. They’re freaking delicious
bloobityblu@reddit
Who?
confusedrabbit247@reddit
No, I've never had one. Would maybe have to go to a specialty market to even find them here.
TerminatorAuschwitz@reddit
The only reason I know what a loquat is is from the alternate universe Futurama episode. And I thought it was a fruit they made up for a while.
Wespiratory@reddit
My dad used to bring them home when I was a kid. I don’t remember what season they were ready in. I feel like it was early winter.
michaelpaoli@reddit
Nope, don't know that I've ever even had one.
caramirdan@reddit
Had a tree in the front yard. Good fruit.
SafetyNoodle@reddit
I had never seen or heard of loquats until I moved to Taiwan as an adult.
SuCzar@reddit
No. But there was a kumquat tree in my yard growing up. I don't know if it was a good kumquat tree or not, because they were disgusting and I don't know if that's normal. So I mostly used them for throwing at people. Are loquats also good projectiles?
BrazilianButtCheeks@reddit
I’ve literally never even heard that word 😂
DrBlankslate@reddit
We had a tree in the back yard. It was Southern California, so they were pretty consistent year-round. No “season” to speak of.
bluemoney21@reddit
Quat is that?
Bluemonogi@reddit
No. They don’t grow where I grew up in Iowa. I have never seen one.
UnluckyCardiologist9@reddit
Yes. A lot of houses here in LA have them in their yard. I even planted a seed in 1st grade. It was about 6 feet tall when we moved out of that house in the SGV.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
What is SGV?
Isis_Cant_Meme7755@reddit
The San Gabriel Valley
ParfaitOk7852@reddit
yes we had some trees in my neighborhood/ apartment complex so i ate A LOT of them as a kid!
Excellent_Law6906@reddit
Kumquats yes, loquats, no.
Suppafly@reddit
I don't even know what those are.
Shootingstarrz17@reddit
I just learned about them.
egg_mugg23@reddit
oh yes i loooove loquats
Mike_in_San_Pedro@reddit
Yes! I live in San Pedro, in the southern part of Los Angeles. A neighbor of a friend had a tree. They were fantastic!
Regina_Phalange2@reddit
They are not around, I think I had one in my life, ate it, decided it was too bitter, and spat it out.
ombremullet@reddit
I live in Southern California and I have a loquat tree. We usually pick them around the beginning of summer.
MuscaMurum@reddit
Not until my 50s when I moved to California. I eat then occasionally when I find them in public property. They're a little bland, TBH.
msood16@reddit
All the time in California - they grow all over LA and SoCal and are ripe to pick in the spring.
MTB_Mike_@reddit
I love loquat. I live in southern CA and they are somewhat common here but most people still don't know what they are. I grew up with a tree in my front yard and I am actually going to plant one at my house this year
smartbiphasic@reddit
Yes. In the summer. My family made jam.
IHaveALittleNeck@reddit
No. And I’m fairly sure they told us in health class you get STDs from that.
miketugboat@reddit
I've never lived anywhere even remotely warm enough for them
SnowTheMemeEmpress@reddit
What's a Loquat?
scaredofmyownshadow@reddit
I ate them a lot growing up. My uncle is from Thailand and there were usually some around his / my aunt’s house, which I spent a lot of time at. I don’t know where he got them, but he co-owned a local produce company so I’m sure he had no difficulty finding them. They were probably relatively expensive, but he likes them. Loquats are good, but not my favorite fruit and I don’t seek them out myself, but I’ll eat them if they’re available. They might be sold at some specialty supermarkets, like Asian markets, Sprouts, Whole Foods, etc.
Johnny_been_goode@reddit
I read this as “locusts” and I was like “hm, I guess they think we do here.”
No idea what loquats are tbh. So to answer your question, no.
FlyingSquirlez@reddit
My parents rented a house in Southern California with a couple of loquat trees in the backyard for a few years. I think we usually picked them in the winter.
medicwitha45@reddit
Yes, and jujubees
silkywhitemarble@reddit
I did--sometimes. We had a loquat tree in my grandmother's yard and we would eat them sometimes. They were a bit tangy for my taste, but I'm not sure if we were eating them when they were ripe anyway. I also think my uncle would let neighbors come and take them--or they would just come and take them without permission. I grew up in southern California. I've only ever seen them in a store once, and that was in a small Asian/Mexican market down the street from us.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
If they were tangy you picked them too early.
silkywhitemarble@reddit
I've had them when they were probably ripe, too, but still didn't care too much for them. Thanks for this post, though--- I haven't thought about loquats in decades, and it reminds me of my grandmother's yard.
saltporksuit@reddit
They grow a lot around Aust8n where family is from. My grandmother used to make loquat cobbler. I have planted a loquat tree myself.
Todeshase@reddit
Damn I miss those from my FL days.
Cravdraa@reddit
Nope! Though a grocery store I worked at for a while carried them in the section for unusual fruits so I bought them a few times. They're pretty good!
I've picked raspberries, black berries, mullberries, blue berries, strawberries, apples, plums, cherries and on one occasion, a paw paw. But that's the limit to my experience picking wild fruit.
TheOwlMarble@reddit
I only ever came across that fruit in a fantasy novel, and I honestly assumed the author invented it.
LGB-Tea@reddit
A what?
Smooth_Beginning_540@reddit
I don’t know what loquats are, so probably not.
Acrobatic-Ad-8095@reddit
Florida. You’re damn right I did. The few weeks when they were ripe was a glorious time of year.
Square-Dragonfruit76@reddit
I love to try new things, so yes I had one once, but I never had it again.
DarkMagickan@reddit
I'm not even sure what one is.
friarparkfairie@reddit
Yes because I happened to have a neighbor in my Southern Californian town that had a huge tree that hung over out into the sidewalk. I knew of them because I played the Nancy Drew pc games growing up and they play a role in the game Legend of the Crystal Skull.
AuntBBea@reddit
Nurtec
FlyByPC@reddit
I had never heard of them until today. Seems they're a tropical fruit, so that's probably why?
Fun-Yellow-6576@reddit
Never heard of them.
Jumpy_Lettuce1491@reddit
Loquat?
dj4slugs@reddit
They don't ship well so vist downtown Charleston SC in April. Low hanging branches in yards of very old houses. Often reach out to side walk.
jimmyjohnjohnjohn@reddit
I had one once when I was a teenager. I don't think it was ripe.
Neuvirths_Glove@reddit
The first time I ever saw the word was in the thread title.
dj4slugs@reddit
Yes, they grow around me, most are trees that hang over walls in downtown Charleston SC.
farrieremily@reddit
My aunt had a tree at her last house in central Florida. It was her first time seeing them in 45 years living around the area. We tried them, then looked up what they were. You know, the sensible way.
manokpsa@reddit
No, I've heard of them, but they only grow in the warmer states and I'm from the north.
JadziaEzri81@reddit
I think you misspelled kumquat, and also no
BIG_BROTHER_IS_BEANS@reddit
Yes. I had a loquat tree in my yard. It is still there in fact.
CauseSpecific8545@reddit
I've never heard of those before.
Sponsorspew@reddit
Y’all gave me Thanos. 😭
Revolutionary-Good22@reddit
I'm from Charleston, SC and I have never heard of tgis.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Check out this link from r/Charleston.
C5H2A7@reddit
I hadn't heard of them until I lived in Japan. They're amazing!
StarSines@reddit
I have no idea what a loquat is ☹️
GingerSchnapps3@reddit
Summer
EnvironmentalShoe5@reddit
I’ve never even heard of them before.
androidbear04@reddit
Our former neighbors had a loquat tree, and we ate the fruit that was on our side of the fence. But when they moved, the next people took it out.
Agitated_Ad6162@reddit
Yes they good
CemeteryDweller7719@reddit
I’ve heard of it, but I’ve lived my whole life in a northern part of the US. It is currently 12F outside. Pretty sure they wouldn’t grow where I live. So never picked any, lol.
Irish_andGermanguy@reddit
Tf is that
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
A tasty tasty fruit. It grows all over Southern California apparently.
Irish_andGermanguy@reddit
Never heard of it
silkmoss@reddit
Yes! My family has a tree in our backyard.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
What state do you live in? Have they fruited yet?
silkmoss@reddit
California.
Not yet. Just flowering.
CautiousMessage3433@reddit
I ate comquats, it looks like them so maybe I was given the wrong name.
BeBopBarr@reddit
Grew up small town on the east coast, literally never heard of them until I moved to SoCal
Imaginary_Ladder_917@reddit
Yes but only a few times because I really don’t like them. I only ate them when other people brought them to school or whatever so I don’t know the timing
tzweezle@reddit
Yes we had a tree in our yard
Designer-Button-7865@reddit
Never heard of that
Libertas_@reddit
I don't even know what that is.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
They are very common in Southern California apparently.
smaxlab@reddit
I have no idea what that is
Scav-STALKER@reddit
Absolutely not
--Miranda--@reddit
Who?
FLman42069@reddit
Yes. Had one in my backyard growing up. Don’t remember when but we ate them whenever they were yellow/orange
farawyn86@reddit
Yes. There were two trees on my grandma's property and we'd stand there eating them straight off the tree for 20+ min before going up to the house. One of my favorite family-bonding memories actually. I don't remember timing because we were kids, but maybe late spring?
I think we only had those trees because my great grandparents were involved in the Panama-California Exposition of 1915 and were gifted (or stole?) cuttings of a lot of the botanicals, so their hill had a lot of unique foliage.
YinzerInExile@reddit
I do not know what that is
Vachic09@reddit
No
QuinceDaPence@reddit
I have a loquat tree in my yard. They're pretty good but I guess the climate isn't quite right because you only get like a week to get fruit from it.
Also due to texas being a bit chilly recently I don't think it's made fruit in at least 2 years. Still alive though.
It's definitely not a common tree in this area.
ButItSaysOnline@reddit
Did you just make up this word to mess with us?
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
🤣😂
capsrock02@reddit
Eat what
calicoskiies@reddit
I’ve never even come across the word loquat before.
DrunkenGolfer@reddit
I am Canadian, but whatever. I never heard of a loquat until I moved to Bermuda. They grow wild there and I one of the best trees right in my backyard. It grew loquats bigger than usual. They were delicious.
The best thing about loquats is they ripen around the end of February. After a winter with limited fresh fruit, these things pop up to save the day.
They are very astringent when not fully ripe, but once ripe they become sweet and fragrant, tasting a little like a cross between an apricot and a plum.
Express-Stop7830@reddit
We had a calamondins tree, and I love the fruit. Squish your face off tart. Loved it. (A hurricane took it out with skat water intrusion a few years ago, once it was established and HUGE.) We also had a kumquat tree. As a very young child, I did t know the difference...I picked a kumquat, expecting the magic of getting my face blown off with sour and...bleh. Kumquat.
I have never recovered from that disappointing bite nor made amends with a kumquat.
No_Inevitable_3241@reddit
South Georgia here. No, I had never heard of them. 2008 forced a career change. I sell about 400 a year and still haven't eaten the fruit. It's a cool looking tree though.
cohrt@reddit
Never even heard of whatever that is.
Weightmonster@reddit
Is that like a kumquat? Is that a Pokémon?
Guilty_Objective4602@reddit
It’s closer to a persimmon. It’s not a citrus like kumquat.
Guilty_Objective4602@reddit
I’d say it’s sort of like a combination between a pear and a wild persimmon.
KometaCode@reddit
It says their common in gulf states but I never saw them in NE Mississippi so they must mean like just the gulf or coastal regions so I never saw them or heard of them before
Guilty_Objective4602@reddit
Yeah, I didn’t see them in northern Mississippi or the Texas Gulf Coast as a kid. I only met them when I moved to North Florida.
HelgaTwerpknot@reddit
Did I eat what? Going with still haven’t.
marcus_frisbee@reddit
Loquats!? I never even ate kumquats!
Guilty_Objective4602@reddit
They are a totally different kind of fruit, and, if you don’t like kumquats, you may very well still like loquats.
AllAreStarStuff@reddit
Yep. We had one in our yard. Depending when you pick them they are either really tart or really sweet. But tasty regardless
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Where did you grow up?
AllAreStarStuff@reddit
Houston. I still live in Houston. The loquats as a teen were tasty, but I don’t like them enough to plant my own tree now.
Round_Walk_5552@reddit
Im from Florida and we had this tree in our yard and I used to eat them
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
During what month do you remember them fruiting?
Guilty_Objective4602@reddit
In North Florida, they fruit around the end of April to the end of May. We’re usually picking them towards the end of the school year.
Round_Walk_5552@reddit
I remember they were good though
Round_Walk_5552@reddit
That I couldn’t remember
Georgiapasorider@reddit
I live between Charleston and Myrtle Beach and I have a tree in my yard.There are many in my town.I have had some fruit off my own tree that were delicious.Its a kind of like a little nectarine.
mcluvin901@reddit
We had a loquat tree at our last house. My daughters would devour them every year.
JiminPA67@reddit
My girlfriend in college was Chinese and I would always have them when I would drive her home or visit her. I lived them!
Demiurge_Ferikad@reddit
I looked it up. A subtropical tree wouldn’t survive well in Michigan’s climate.
door-harp@reddit
I did too, I was too curious. Looks like it gets both too hot and too cold to grow these in New Mexico.
longcreepyhug@reddit
When I was in my twenties, yes. They were planted as a common street tree in coastal North Carolina.
NyadStarlight@reddit
Yes. I picked them sometimes on the way home from school. (In California)
Corrupt_Reverend@reddit
Yep. Neighbor had a tree that hung over the fence.
SufficientZucchini21@reddit
No
Particular_Silver_@reddit
Absolutely! Grew up in California. A friend had three trees in her side yard, and a house on the way home from school had a tree close enough to the sidewalk to be “fair game,” so I’d eat them whenever I was near a fruiting tree from about 7–10yrs old!
As an adult, it’s a LOT harder to find them, because I live in a different part of California, and most of the ones I see are grown close to the house in fenced backyards… although they’re proliferate enough I don’t think the owners would mind if I asked for some, I am cripplingly anxious about knocking on a stranger’s door and saying “hey, I was spying on your backyard trees during a bike ride, can I come through and pick a bag full, please?”
klattklattklatt@reddit
SF uses loquat trees in public places. There's a huge one near Glen Park Bart station.
youwantadonutornot@reddit
Grew up near SF, had a tree in my yard. Ate them as a kid.
sysaphiswaits@reddit
Also from Southern California and also remember them ripening around late spring/early summer.
youwantadonutornot@reddit
I grew up in California and had a tree in my yard. Ate them sometimes, but animals and birds ate them more.
Guilty_Objective4602@reddit
I never ate them growing up, but learned about them after I moved to FL as an adult when a coworker picked some off a wild tree near our workplace and shared them with me. Then I wondered how I’d missed out on this fruit my whole life. Honestly, I see wild trees all over my city and very few people around here seem to harvest them or even know about loquats unless they’re gardeners. Ours in North Florida are usually ripe in mid-late May, but I’ve seen them ripen in late April, too. They’re basically ripe when they fall off the tree or you shake it and they fall off. They are apparently super easy to grow from the seeds in the fruit, which is handy because there are sooo many seeds in each fruit. But I’m sure that’s why we see loquat trees growing wild around here.
Howdysf@reddit
Yes- but they don’t grow everywhere here- a lot of people don’t even know what they are
machagogo@reddit
I don't think I have ever had one. They are subtropical, so NY/NJ is not the best environment for them. I don't think I have ever seen one of those trees up here ever.
themistycrystal@reddit
Don't even know what that is.
topazco@reddit
Yes! We had 2 trees in Texas. I don’t remember what time of year but they should be solid yellow almost orange. Usually by the time they would get orange the birds would get to them so we would pick and eat them when they were yellow. They were sometimes a little tart/under-ripe but still tasty. They have a lot of large seeds inside and I think some people may not eat the skin but i always ate it.
My parents would sometimes made jam from it. I think they every few years they don’t give fruit but otherwise we got a lot every year. I seem to recall a lot of people didn’t know what it was so you could see trees with fruit around town that nobody was eating.
Nosenada1923@reddit
My daughter has one in her yard. (Texas). I tried one, wasn't impressed. Mostly they just make a mess of the yard.
lannister80@reddit
I've never heard or read that word before in my life.
Traditional_Ant_2662@reddit
I don't even know what that is. We did eat kumquats, though.
shelwood46@reddit
I did, and I picked them off the Chinese restaurant menu or the canned fruit shelf (I grew up in WI, way too cold for loquats to grow.)
Butterbean-queen@reddit
No. I didn’t really like fruit growing up.
OldCompany50@reddit
Never heard of one
proscriptus@reddit
I am aware that the loquat is a fruit but I am unaware of ever having seen one.
Dippay@reddit
We don't ever mention loquat around here . Shh
RainBloom0@reddit
First time hearing about it in this post. So I'd say no.
Better-Delay@reddit
Ate quite a bit of them as a kid, can't remember if it was in Georgia (ludawici) or Florida (Pensacola) we knew they were ready when the first few fell off the tree. If you put a slight pressure on them and the come right off in your hand they are ready
WanderWillowWonder@reddit
A what?
litebrite93@reddit
What is it?
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
A tasty tasty fruit. Kind of like a peach, apricot , mango.
1Bookishtraveler@reddit
What is loquat?
EnvironmentalTea9362@reddit
Love 'em but have only eaten then in Spain and the Middle East.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
They grow everywhere in South Florida and along the gulf over to LA. Picking them from my grandparents tree every year is a core memory from my childhood.
OhHaiHoney@reddit
I LOVE LOQUATS! I used to have a loquat tree that my grandpa brought from Trinidad in our childhood backyard. It was amazing. And hands down the most amazing fruit (second to mango) ever. I dream about it often. I wish I could have taken that tree with me when I moved.
WolverineHour1006@reddit
I don’t think those grow anywhere won the US.
sneezhousing@reddit
Don't know what that is
daredelvis421@reddit
Yes, lots. My grampa had a tree in his backyard and I gorged on those things. Got a small sampling in a pot out back right now
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
The loquats on my tree aren’t close to being ready to pick yet!
RedLegGI@reddit
A what?
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
LO- QUAT!
secondmoosekiteer@reddit
A what?
Agile_Property9943@reddit
I know what they are but I never ate one before
Aggressive-Emu5358@reddit
Never heard of it and I’m sure it doesn’t grown in a high altitude desert so I doubt I’ll ever see one and recognize it.
Cheap_Coffee@reddit
I had to google 'loquat.' So, no.
Current_Poster@reddit
I don't think I ever heard of them, until now.
Avasia1717@reddit
i'm not sure i've ever even seen a loquat. i doubt my local grocery store has them.
if i went to a store that had them i'd have to read the signs because i wouldn't recognize one if it saw it.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
You won’t find them in a store, at least not fresh, if you don’t live in a region where they grow. They bruise really easily and wouldn’t travel well unless preserved.
Legitimate-Squash-44@reddit
Yes, as a child in Southern California. Not since. I believe they are best right off the tree (we had one in our yard), but don’t last/transport well enough to get to stores. They were delicious; thanks for the memory!
highest5@reddit
Yes, loquats are delicious. They grow all around Orlando, FL and they're ripe in March
tdpoo@reddit
Yes, there was tree at grandma's house
uresmane@reddit
A wut
Sleepygirl57@reddit
Never heard of it.
Rocksteady2R@reddit
Nope. But when i moved to ATX, i found a few trees in the neighborhood and got permission to get saplings/cuttings and harvests from. I had for a ling time a hobby of growing fruit trees. Loquats are awesome.
BippidiBoppetyBoob@reddit
I had to look them up. It’s a southern thing. I live in a place that gets cold.
SpatchcockZucchini@reddit
I have a Loquat tree in my yard and the squirrels always beat me too it. But, no I didn't eat them growing up.
JustAnotherDay1977@reddit
Huh? Sounds like something from a Dr. Suess book.
Kaurifish@reddit
We had a big loquat tree. Nobody else found them worth the effort (you have to peel the skin off + there’s a big seed thing in the middle) but that bite of fruit, like mango and apricot had a baby, was divine.
Most of them where I live now have much smaller fruit.
jaebassist@reddit
What did you just call me??
Adnan7631@reddit
No, but I have had one before. And my uncle has a tree at home in California. I live in the Midwest and I’m curious to try and grow a trees indoors.
UntidyVenus@reddit
Yes, but I grew up in California, and a neighbor grew them
doozle@reddit
A what?
Lupiefighter@reddit
On occasion we would get them with our Christ’s fruit box from Florida, but they don’t keep very long so you have to eat them before anything else.
___daddy69___@reddit
Grew up in NC, never even heard of that
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Here is a farm in South Carolina that grows them.
niahpapaya@reddit
Somehow there were loquat trees in Central CA. I loved them. No one else I knew ate them, though. I taught a lot of my childhood friends that they were actually food.
Mazikeen369@reddit
No. I had to look up what it was. Does not look familiar at all.
After_Lunch7662@reddit
In FL, yes :)
_CPR__@reddit
This post brought to you by the loquat farmer's association.
pinaple_cheese_girl@reddit
Don’t think they grow in the US. Also, vast majority of the US doesn’t pick their own fruit
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Very common in Florida.
Hello_Hangnail@reddit
I don't even know what that is
Jack_of_Spades@reddit
Only once in my life. When I was in 3rd grade, my mom was able to rent a bedroom in a run down old house on the edge of town. It was falling apart and shook in the wind. It had a tree growing out front and it had weird looking fruits that were too soft and tasted like an apricot fucked a peach.
Not... bad but the texture was gross. I eventually found out that was a loquat and we picked them at the wrong time because they were a bit overly ripe.
StationOk7229@reddit
I had a friend with a loquat "tree" (more like a bush if you ask me). We ate 'em all the time. Love 'em. But they aren't real known or popular as best as I can tell.
Ieatclowns@reddit
Here in South Australia they grow like weeds and kids eat them from by the creek whilst playing. I used to make jam out of them.
imightb2old4this@reddit
Yep. Had a tree and they were delicious!
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
Where did you grow up?
imightb2old4this@reddit
Southern California
ilovjedi@reddit
I’ve never even heard of them.
LadyInCrimson@reddit
Is it like an apricot?
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
It does have a flavor that is reminiscent of an apricot, but they are different.
LadyInCrimson@reddit
That's sounds delicious then!
Legitimate-Remote221@reddit
I don't thinkbwe have those here
Rezboy209@reddit
Yes, sometimes. There was a tree around the corner from my grandparents house that we would pick them from. But if I remember correctly it didn't produce fruit regularly. So we picked them when it actually produced.
Top-Comfortable-4789@reddit
I have no idea what that is
Apart-Pressure-3822@reddit
Yeah, I remember finding the tree when I was uncovering the back 40 and being stoked at this weird new fruit.
Theobroma1000@reddit
There was a loquat tree near my dorm at University of Arizona in Tucson. Ate them all the time on the way to class!
Jackal2332@reddit
I, uh… gonna answer a question with a question.
Traditional_Judge734@reddit
Yes, off my Grandmother's tree
sproutsandnapkins@reddit
I grew up in a very diverse area near San Francisco where we ate a lot of ethnic and non-American standard food. I’ve seen a lot of usual things but I honestly don’t think I’ve ever seen a loquat and I’ve never tasted one.
Side note: I’ve eaten a lot of lychee
DOMSdeluise@reddit
Never heard of this
TheHazyHeir@reddit
Yes! I grew up in Florida and having a loquat tree in your yard is a huge blessing, and you can expect kids to come steal them every summer without fail. The rest of y'all are definitely missing out, they're delicious.
Superb-Fail-9937@reddit
Never heard of it but it sounds like a warmer climate fruit. We can’t really grow warm growing fruits around my parts.
Capital_Ear_9681@reddit
Ate them in Louisiana. Big seed in the middle but sweet.
Kitchen-Lie-7894@reddit
I don't even know what that is.
jayzisne@reddit
I think I’m in the minority but we had a loquat tree in our backyard as a kid in California. Never knew what they were and only ate one once!
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
😢
MH07@reddit
Never till I moved to Houston in 2007; the house I bought had a loquat tree and I loved them! (It had a grapefruit tree as well but I do not like grapefruit at all, who on earth would eat such a thing?!)
petg16@reddit
Lord Loquat r/unexpectedfuturama
ARustybutterknife@reddit
Unless it’s a name for something else, I’m going to go with no.
vegasbywayofLA@reddit
Yes!!! We had 2 trees in my backyard in the house I grew up in, in LA. Little peach colored fruits with large, shiny brown seeds. Or pits. Not sure which.
Clambake42@reddit
I did!! There was a loquat tree in my yard in Southern California. I haven't had one since like 1989!
Carrotcake1988@reddit
Kumquats are the only quats that I’ve heard of.
When ripe? They are yummy, sweet, and citrusy.
rm886988@reddit
Yes, I miss them!
CixFourShorty24@reddit
A who
Deolater@reddit
I know of them, like other southern fruits including mayhaw, pawpaw, etc
But I've never had one or knowingly seen one
Karamist623@reddit
Never even hear of a loquat. What kind of fruit is it?
Google to the rescue. Kind of like an apricot. So no, I’ve never had one.
Accomplished_Mix7827@reddit
Are they a regional thing? I've never heard of them
FinalChurchkhela@reddit
No, no idea what this is
devnullopinions@reddit
I’ve never heard of this.
WestBrink@reddit
My grandparents on the Central Coast of California had a loquat tree. Remember eating them as a kid...
Been probably 25 years since I've had one though, which is a pity. I recall them being pretty tasty.
hsj713@reddit
Loquats are native to southeastern China, it is now grown in various subtropical regions around the world, including parts of the United States. They're quite common here in Southern California.
https://c.pxhere.com/photos/ce/2e/big_loquat_rosaceae_flowering_plants_chinese_plum-630463.jpg!d
Mysterious-Ad-4339@reddit
Nope, not till I was an adult in Texas where my neighbor had a tree. They aren’t all over and as far as I know don’t ship well.
GarlicAftershave@reddit
My grandparents, who snowbirded in central Florida, were neighbors with someone who had a loquat tree, so I ate them once in a great while. As to "when", it must have been somewhere between late winter and mid spring.
SGDFish@reddit
I've had them a few times, but not regularly
Funny story though, I did have a patient tell me once that when she had colds, she would make a rltea from loquat leaves, and she could tell it worked because it made her mouth tingly.
I then had to inform her that the leaves are poisonous...
Certain-Section-1518@reddit
We have four loquat trees in our yard in Southern California and everyone eats them. I think you only grow up eating them if they grow in your area because they don’t transport well.
Judgy-Introvert@reddit
I’m assuming not since I don’t know what they are.
distracted_x@reddit
I dont even know what that is. It's definitely not a common food in America.
typhoidmarry@reddit
I’m thinking it’s small, like a hamster??
Ok_Sundae2107@reddit
About the size of a cherry tomato.
typhoidmarry@reddit
I was thinking a loquat was an animal, the size of a hamster
Ok_Sundae2107@reddit
LOL no. Afm fruit.
Bornagainchola@reddit
Yes! Had a neighbor that had a loquat tree!
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
What state did you grow up in?
Bornagainchola@reddit
We ate them whole!
Bornagainchola@reddit
California. My neighbor was Filipino and he had a kumquat tree. He was very generous.
MyUsername2459@reddit
I've never even heard of them.
Face_with_a_View@reddit
A wha?
Psychological_Mangos@reddit
I don’t know what that is…I don’t think we have them in the northeast…but who knows!
DreamsAndSchemes@reddit
Isn’t that a Pokémon or digimon?
Mr_Washeewashee@reddit
Hell yeah! Very popular here is Florida. As kids we’d sneak into people’s yards and grab a bunch. So many people just let the fruit rot or leave it for the squirrels. I’ve got a tree growing now.
Sean_theLeprachaun@reddit
I thought that was just a futurama joke.
rattlehead44@reddit
Yes! My neighbors had a tree in their from yard. Damn, it’s been a while since I’ve even seen one though.
Crumbmuffins@reddit
Yeah my grandma has a tree on her property, they’re pretty good. Sweet, tangy, juicy refreshing it’s actually flowering right now.
Games_People_Play@reddit
I’ve never had one, but we’re about to plant a loquat tree! I was told they don’t last long and that’s why stores don’t carry them.
Ok_Sundae2107@reddit
Yes. We had a tree. Sour and sweet. I liked them. Used to pick and eat right off the tree.
No_Economics_7295@reddit
Nope — they look delicious though! Sounds like they don’t transport well and the growing zone stops at 7b … so they wouldn’t grow too well up here in zone 6. They look like a persimmon to me but sounds like they taste nothing like that.
MoneyHuckleberry1405@reddit
Sweet-tart and doesn't have the aromatic spiciness of persimmons
StuckInWarshington@reddit
Guessing 95% or more of Americans have never heard of them. There are a few places where they can grow, but they aren’t common. I’ve never seen them in a store and only had them from a friend’s tree.
No-Profession422@reddit
Is it like a Kumquat?
MoneyHuckleberry1405@reddit
Nope
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loquat#:~:text=a%20large%20evergreen%20shrub%20or%20tree%20grown,is%20also%20cultivated%20as%20an%20ornamental%20plant.
inbigtreble30@reddit
No. I've never heard of them. We had kumquats a few times, but only as a novelty. They were not readily available.
MoneyHuckleberry1405@reddit
Kumquat is a citrus. Loquat is also orange but a very different fruit.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loquat#:~:text=a%20large%20evergreen%20shrub%20or%20tree%20grown,is%20also%20cultivated%20as%20an%20ornamental%20plant.
Meilingcrusader@reddit
I have literally never heard of this
wolf_spooder@reddit
Yes, they are fairly common in California and my grandparents had a tree in their yard. I love them, but they go bad quickly. They were a spring fruit.
MightyThor211@reddit
Literally the only reason I know about loquats is because of futurama
meruu_meruu@reddit
I had a friend who had a loquat tree in her backyard, we lived in Southern California. I ate them occasionally when she would randomly offer me one while we were playing in the backyard lol.
JohnHenryMillerTime@reddit
No but my children do and pick them from local trees at the park.
flora_poste_@reddit
Yes. There was a tree in our backyard.
manicmilkk@reddit
ngl, my first thought was “what even is that”. i know it’s a fruit but that’s it lol
CaptainPunisher@reddit
Yeah, we had a property with a loquat tree. It wasn't something common, though, and forever about finding them in grocery stores.
OhThrowed@reddit
Nope, those are not common in Utah
SirJumbles@reddit
I have no idea what they are referring to.
ophaus@reddit
Never even heard of them.
burninstarlight@reddit
I had a loquat tree in my yard growing up so yes, but I'm definitely in the minority
majortomandjerry@reddit
I didn't eat a loquat until I was 23. There was a loquat tree behind my girlfriend's apartment building in San Jose, and she told me what they were and we ate a bunch.
MoneyHuckleberry1405@reddit
Yes and do whenever I can gety hands on them!
Vegetable_Burrito@reddit
No, but I eat them now. So good
saschke@reddit
Not growing up, but when my mom lived in Arizona, she had a loquat tree (bush?). We'd pick them while we visited over the Christmas holiday.
o_safadinho@reddit (OP)
I knew they always fruited around Christmas! The loquats don’t fruit in December anymore!
AnInfiniteArc@reddit
I’ve heard of them but have never eaten one.
ajw_sp@reddit
Yes. Grew up in Florida and had a loquat tree in the backyard.
Wielder-of-Sythes@reddit
I don’t think I’ve ever had one. Maybe I did at some point but just don’t remember it.
Queen_Aurelia@reddit
I definitely have never eaten one before. I don’t even m ow if I heard of them before although I did know it was a fruit.
Beanie82@reddit
I had never heard of them until I moved to Florida. My neighbor has a ton of loquat trees in her yard and has to hurry and pick them when they are ripe otherwise the local wildlife will eat them first.
Odd-Help-4293@reddit
I know it's a kind of fruit, but I don't think I've ever eaten it or seen it
1Rab@reddit
Never heard of it
Puzzled-Teach2389@reddit
Never heard of them
Able_Capable2600@reddit
Excuse me?
Inspi@reddit
First time I've heard of one
Watson424242@reddit
Never heard of them.
tcrhs@reddit
I’ve never heard of that.
Fred42096@reddit
I didn’t learn about them until college. I’ve had some, they’re good
Turdle_Vic@reddit
What’s that?
I think that’s your answer
No_Bottle_8910@reddit
Yes, and I have a couple of trees now. Seems like early summer is when they get ripe. I pick them when they are just getting soft and the brown spots on the skins are still small, like freckles. You can also tell because the birds will start eating them when they are ready.
Stardusk_89@reddit
Wisconsinite. Never heard of it
Level_Magazine_8278@reddit
Same in Delaware
manicpixidreamgirl04@reddit
I have no idea what that is
Remarkable_Table_279@reddit
No…I don’t think I’ve ever eaten or tasted one
velocityjr@reddit
Sure. Summer but only as kids. They're not unusual in Southern California..I think they were more common once. They are not much good and redevelopers destroy them for various reasons.
13L4NE@reddit
Live in Georgia, grew up in South Carolina. I had to google what a loquat was and I’ve never seen them before.
CODENAMEDERPY@reddit
Don’t even know what that is.
Sufficient_Cod1948@reddit
I don't even know what that is.
According to wikipedia, it grows naturally in warmer climates and higher altitudes, so that rules out this area. I'm basically at sea level and we hit a high of 31 degrees today.
thatsad_guy@reddit
I'm from upstate New York. I have never heard of them.
Appropriate-Food1757@reddit
The what
beardedscot@reddit
I did not eat loquats, but my mom had loquat honey she would give me when sick. Tasted pretty great.
o93mink@reddit
I did not