A Quince-idence? I Think NOT! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Marmalade

Quince is often used to enhance flavors of fruit preserves and sauces, and is ideal for thickening many foods due to its pectin content. Marmalade is one such fruit preserve that originated as a quince jam; marmelo is the Portuguese word for the quince. You may, like myself, be more familiar with marmalade as an orange spread enjoyed by Paddington Bear!

Answer: Roman

Apicius, also known as De re coquinaria (meaning "On the Subject of Cooking") is an old manuscript of recipes dating back to the fifth century; perhaps even earlier. The author is unknown, but named after the presumed author Caelius Apicius, referenced by some recipes.

The book contains recipes that include an unknown, possibly extinct spice as well as recipes for flamingo. The quince is also included in the collection with a helpful method to keep it preserved; submerge an unbruised quince with stems and leaves still attached in honey and reduced wine. I'm no gourmet, but I imagine any fruit soaks in wine and honey will end up tasting delicious!

Answer: Quince cheese

Interestingly, though marmalade now lacks quince, quince cheese is the product that the term "marmelada" referred to in the preparation of the marmelo (quince). Marmalade is, of course, a different product now, using citrus, as we have learned (thank you again, Paddington!).

The quince "marmalade" now is a brick of quince cheese. Though this may sound like a savory concoction, it really is just a thick, sliceable jelly (think of canned cranberry sauce). It is thought that quince cheese, which has been around for centuries, may have originated in the cookbook Apicius (now isn't that familiar?).

As it turns out, soaking quince in honey and wine is a great starting point to then stew the mixture into a paste.

Answer: The Owl and the Pussycat

Edward Lear published "The Owl and the Pussy-cat" in 1870, first in the magazine "Our Young Folks", and then in his own book "Nonsense Songs, Stories, Botany, and Alphabets" a year later. Line 27 of the famous poem begins:

"They dined on mince, and slices of quince
Which they ate with a runcible spoon.
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon."

If you aren't sure what a runcible spoon is, don't worry, it's a product of Lear's own imagination and was created for the poem itself.

The quince, being a tart fruit, may not be the tastiest to eat sliced, but Kate Young of "The Guardian" says that they would work well with a meringue and whipped cream. Thanks, Kate, I'll have to thrift myself a runcible spoon and give it a try!

Answer: Hercules

For the eleventh Labor of Hercules, he simply had to steal some fruit. Of course, like other labors, there is more than meets the eye to the initial task. Finding the garden proved difficult enough. Capturing a shapeshifting sea god was not an easy task, but once Hercules learned the location of the gardens from the Old Man of the Sea, he was on his way. When he reached the gardens, he found Atlas, famed for holding the heavens on his shoulders. As the father of Hesperides, Atlas could take the quinces off the tree and it would not be stealing. With that, Hercules conned him into doing the dirty work by agreeing to hold the heavens while Atlas collected the Golden Apples. Atlas didn't want to take resume his heavenly task, however, so Hercules had to trick him into taking the job back by claiming he would keep hold of the heavens on Atlas' behalf as long as he held it for just a moment for Hercules to adjust his cloak. Instead, he vanished with the quinces, leaving Atlas back to his duties.

Variations of this story exist. Instead of tricking Atlas into retrieving the quinces, a different version has him slaying Ladon, the guardian dragon of the Golden Apples. In other versions, he was captured to be sacrificed but broke free, and he had to kill Antaeus, who was invincible while touching the Earth.

In every version, of course, Hercules walks away victorious, having completed a task Eurystheus believed to be impossible. However you slice it, it seems like a lot of work to be had for a handful of tart fruits!

Answer: Crete

Cydonia (alternately spelled Kydonia) was an ancient city found on the island of Crete, now in present-day Chania. The excavation of the ruins has led to discoveries dating back to 3100BC. In 2025, it was added as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The location was associated with the "Kydonian apple" by the ancient Greeks, and the word quince is even derived from the phrase (and, of course, the genus itself). Being that the quince is closely related to both the apple and the pear, it is no wonder so many ancient references of apples were truly quinces in disguise!

Answer: Red

Interestingly, while some plants are quite vibrantly colored from the anthocyanin they contain, the quince's reaction to the pigment is not seen until it's cooked with sugar. When making quince cheese, for instance, it begins to turn a light orangish red, and the longer you cook it, the redder it gets. Unlike other plants which turn darker from caramelization and potential burning, the quince releases the anthocyanin and the vibrant pigment becomes visible.

These pigments do not just turn foods red; they can appear all sorts of shades of blues, pinks, purples, and even black. Common foods with this pigment are concord grapes, red cabbage, raspberries, blueberries, black beans, and blue corn.

These flavonoids do not greatly alter the taste of fruits and vegetables so if you have the opportunity to grab a purple cauliflower rich in anthocyanin, give it a try for a much prettier dish to your meal!

Answer: Pomegranate

Kibbeh safarjaliyeh is a Syrian dish that uses kibbeh and lamb or beef in a beef broth. This beef broth is further flavored with the addition of pomegranate juice and molasses, as well as pieces of quince. The kibbeh is first made and boiled before it is introduced to the simmering broth of pomegranate, meat and quince.

The quince, however, is the integral aspect to this dish, as the name suggests. Safarjal is the Arabic word for quince; you certainly cannot leave out a titular ingredient from such a dish! I've not yet tried kibbeh with quince and pomegranate, but my curiosity has been piqued and I will be on the lookout.

Answer: Brandy

Rakija (also spelled rakia, rakiya, rachiu, or rikea, depending on the origin of the alcohol) is a term for fruit spirits or brandies in the Balkan region. Plums, apricots, pears and cherries are all commonly used for these beverages, but there are other fruits that can be used as well to make different flavored liquors. Peaches, figs, and quince are among the less popular but still tasty (I assume, I have yet to try rakija) drinks.

In Bulgaria, rakija made with quince is called dyuleva, and in Greece, raki kydoniou (spot the Cydonia association). Ya mas!

Answer: Bonsai

Bonsai is a Japanese art of growing and shaping trees in miniature form in containers. All sorts of plants can be used for this; growing up we had a bamboo bonsai we had to keep neat and trimmed. Quince plants from the genus Chaenomeles (though, oddly, not of Cydonia) are perfect decorative trees for use in bonsai.

These quince plants are often called flowering quince, since these varieties are typically grown for ornamental purposes and not to eat the fruits they'll eventually produce. There are other arts that exist throughout the world with a similar intent as bonsai. Penjing is one of these arts in China; in Korea, bunjae. Hon non bo is the Vietnamese equivalent but features entire landscapes, and appears as an entire living ecosystem in miniature!