Corfu is famous for olive oil, kumquat and traditional dishes, but the island also has a fascinating world of old-fashioned fruits that many visitors never notice. Some still grow in village gardens, beside country roads or in small family orchards, while others have almost disappeared from local markets. As someone who grew up in Corfu, several of these fruits immediately remind me of older gardens, grandparents and the days when people simply picked whatever was ripe from the tree. Here are 12 Corfu fruits you may never have tried.
6Corfu Quinces
Quince trees have a very long history in Corfu.
Historical agricultural records even describe plant material collected in Corfu from a particularly large, pear-shaped quince variety.
Quinces are hard and intensely aromatic when raw, so traditionally they are more often cooked than eaten directly from the tree.
They can be transformed into preserves, spoon sweets, jams or baked desserts, and simply leaving a ripe quince indoors can fill a room with its distinctive perfume.
Health benefits: Quince provides fibre, vitamin C and several antioxidant compounds. The nutritional value is highest when the fruit is prepared without excessive added sugar, which is worth remembering with jams and traditional sweets.
When to look for them: Autumn.
