Eriobotrya japonica which is also called Loquat is a spring delicious fruit that is popular in Asian countries especially in Pakistan, Japan, China, and India, in Japan it is called Japanese plum, its tree start giving fruit right after the end of autumn season and from Asian countries it supplied all over the world through high-speed couriers because its lifetime is only a few days. Due to it’s medicinal and various health benefits, this fruit is so popular all over the world. Like all other fruits, nature gifted loquat with some extra features this is why this amazing juicy fruit could provide its own only one of its kind set of health benefits for the human fitness.
| Name | Loquats |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Eriobotrya japonica |
| Native | Western China |
| Common/English Name | Chinese Loquat, Japanese Loquat, Japanese Medlar, Japanese Plum, Loquat, Naspli. |
| Name in Other Languages | Italian : Nespola Del Giappone Afrikaans : Lukwart Polish : Niesplik Japonski Burmese : Tayok Hninthi Portuguese : Nêsperas Do Japão Chinese : Pi Ba Nepalese : Lokat Danish : Japanmispel Hungarian: Japán Naspolya Zimbabwe : Muzhanje ( Shona ) Spanish : Nispero De España Eastonian : Jaapani Villpööris Vietnamese : Ti Ba Diêp Swedish : Japansk Mispel French : Bibasse (Fruit) Zambia: Muzhanje ( Shona ) German : Japanische Mispel Brazil : Ameixa-Do-Japão Greek : Iaponika Mousmoula Japanese : Biwa Khmer : Tôn Leap Thai : Lokhwoot Korean : Bipanamu Russian: Eriobotriia Dutch : Japanse Mispel Slovenian : Japonska Nešplja Finnish: Japaninmispeli Czech : Mišpule |
| Plant Growth Habit | Evergreen, large shrub or small tree |
| Growing Climate | Adapted to a subtropical to mild temperate climate. |
| Soil | Grow on a wide range of soils of moderate fertility, from light sandy loam to heavy clay and even oolitic limestone, but needs good drainage. It abhors water-logged conditions |
| Plant Size | 5–10 meters (16–33 ft.) tall |
| Root | Shallow root system |
| Leaf | Glossy dark green, margin entire, shallowly serrate apically, coriaceous, large, obovate- oblong or elliptic, 12–30 long, 3–9 cm wide, apex acute, base cuneate, abaxially rusty grey tomentose, 11–12 pairs of lateral veins. |
| Flower | Flowers are 2 cm (1 in) in diameter, white, with five petals, and produced in stiff panicles of three to ten flowers. The flowers have a sweet, heady aroma that can be smelled from a distance. |
| Flowering Season | October and December |
| Fruit Shape & Shape | Fruit occurs in clusters of 4–30, oval, rounded or pear-shaped, 3–4 cm by 2–5 cm across, skin leathery rusty tomentose later glabrescent, juicy pulp, sweet to sub acid. |
| Fruit Color | Green turning to yellow or orangey-yellow |
| Fruit Skin | Moderately thick skin reminiscent to a peach |
| Flesh Color | Either white, yellow or orange depending on the cultivar type |
| Flavor/Aroma | Pleasant aroma |
| Taste | Succulent, sweet and tangy taste |
| Seed | Usually 3-5, centrally places large brown seeds, angular-ellipsoid, 15 mm by 8 mm. Seeds are inedible, and may carry toxic cyanogen-glycosides. |
| Season | June |
| Varieties/Types | |
| Major Nutrition | Vitamin A, RAE 113 µg (16.14%) Carbohydrate 18.09 g (13.92%) Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) 0.149 mg (11.46%) Manganese, Mn 0.221 mg (9.61%) Potassium, K 396 mg (8.43%) Copper, Cu 0.06 mg (6.67%) Total dietary Fiber 2.5 g (6.58%) Phosphorus, P 40 mg (5.71%) Iron, Fe 0.42 mg (5.25%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 21 µg (5.25%) |
| Health Benefits |
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| Calories in 1 cup (149 gm) | 70 K cal |