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.
5Loquats – Nospoles
Loquats are known in Corfu by the old local name nospoles.
The small orange fruits grow in clusters and ripen relatively early in the year. When perfectly ripe they are juicy, sweet and slightly acidic, with several large brown seeds inside.
Loquat trees are common enough in Corfu gardens, yet many foreign visitors have never tasted the fruit because it is rarely exported in large quantities.
They are at their best directly from the tree.
Health benefits: Loquats contain fibre, carotenoids and antioxidant plant compounds. Their orange colour comes partly from carotenoid pigments, some of which the body can convert into vitamin A.
Important: Eat the flesh, but do not eat the large seeds.
When to look for them: Spring.
