Talk:Loquat

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[edit] Diabetes

I've met two or three people when I lived in Texas who attributed their cured diabetes to making tea from their backyard loquat tree. I'd like to see this discussed and/or mentioned on this page. I trust the wikipedia... and now have diabetes I want to cure... :) I remember specifically that they were Type I diabetics, and that's what I considered impossible up 'til that time. Anyway, someone check out http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=loquat+diabetes and report back. Mrcolj 22:13, August 24, 2005 (UTC)

The only reasonable source I could find in a very quick search was this. Adding either loquat leaf extract or mulberry leaf powder to some pulverized tube from caiapo (Ipomoea batatas L. -- I think that's sweet potatoes, though it's an odd name for them) sped up the already reported effects of caiapo on blood glucose concentration by 1-2 weeks in type II diabetics. This search also brings up 3 old results from 1988 and 1991. Doesn't seem to be much out there, but loquat extract has clearly been tested a few times and hasn't seemed to cure diabetes. digfarenough (talk) 23:17, 25 April 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Loquat Fruit Facts

Passages from this article are quoted, with permission, from the Loquat Fruit Facts document on the web site of the California Rare Fruit Growers.

Can you make clear which paragraphs are quoted from there please. Perhaps by putting them inside <blockquote> tags. Angela. 14:, Apr 1, 2004 (UTC)

Well, most of them, actually. I added bits here and there, such as which countries grow loquats, and the fact that they ripen in spring, but I'll openly admit much of the article is quoted verbatim from their document. I rearranged the sentences and cut out a lot of specialized information, such as planting and harvesting tips and descriptions of the different commercial variants (that are frankly pretty hard for the untrained eye and palate to distinguish). I'll try to think of more stuff to add, but honestly, I don't know that there's a whole lot to say about loquats, except that they're yummy and vastly underrated and should be peeled before eating. Maybe I'll say that. Anyway, the guy at CRFG with whom I corresponded, and who was very nice about this and wrote that "We take pride in our Fruit Facts documents", was named Bill Grimes. I first emailed him informally and then sent additional information using a boilerplate letter I found here, with links to GNU and all that.

Thanks for responding to my request for peer review, here and on other pages!--Woggly 15:13, 1 Apr 2004 (UTC)

No problem. If they are happy to release it under the GFDL, that should be fine. Angela. 21:51, Apr 1, 2004 (UTC)


[edit] Maturity/ripeness of loquat fruits

As in the image, can yellow loquats be said to be truly ripe and mature? I've usually found them to be sour if eaten while yellow; they'd be ripe when they've turned more orangey-peach, as seen here. Mang 02:19, 16 April 2007 (UTC)

In any case, the ones in the picture you posted are round rather than the oblong pear-like shape pictured in the article! I've had ones which are both pale yellow and orange (the same color as the skin) *inside*, and they taste drastically different. Both were orange outside and round, so it's perfecly possible that those oblong ones pictured are yellow-skinned when mature as the article mentions. I noticed that the caption now reads "approaching maturity" rather than mature, and I have no idea which is correct. EDIT: And here's another type which looks considerably different, with a skin that seems to be shiny rather than soft. [1] 76.202.58.168 04:45, 8 June 2007 (UTC)
I have a tree in my yard. The loquats from it are not ripe until they are orange, and even then they're often unripe. The main way I judge if they're ripe is by how easily they come off of the tree; if a light tug doesn't get them off, I leave them to ripen more. The color is at best an approximate indicator of which ones to check. They're ripe and sweetest when they turn soft, but still plenty ripe before then and usually overripe soon after, so waiting until they're soft will lose a lot of them. The tree has both pear-shaped and round fruit on it at the same time, as well as both soft and shiny skins. There seems to be no difference inside. The fuzzy skins turn shiny if I wash them; perhaps I'm scrubbing the hairs off. TheManxome (talk) 22:15, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Link(s) to Kumquat, etc.

Since Kumquats and Loquats are not at all related, I've added an explanation (in the See Also section) of why there's a link to the Kumquat page. Since the same explanation applies to Limequats and Orangequats (and since the Kumquat page links to them), I have removed the latter two links from this page. For more of the rationale, see the Link to Loquat section on the Kumquat discussion page. Carol the Dabbler 19:57, 23 August 2007 (UTC)

[edit] "Smooshy"?

And I quote: "The fruits are the sweetest when smooshy and yellow." Am I correct in assuming "smooshy" is a technical term? :) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Bwanderson (talk • contribs) 23:31, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Etymology

Croatian name for loquat is japanska mušmula. In Adriatic region loquat is also called nešpula, nešpola, nješpula or nješpola. Mušmula is Croatian name for Medlar.

83.139.65.122 (talk) 15:47, 28 April 2008 (UTC)