Season Thirteen, Episode Three. Forgotten Favorites
Uncover the fascinating history of quince and its role in ancient cultures and traditional cooking.
The complete script for this episode, with the two hosts, in eleven parts.
Amiyah: Hey guys, hope y'all having a good day. How is y'all today?
Poke: I am good, just swaying in the breeze. How about you?
Amiyah: Feeling great and ready to learn something new.
Amiyah: All right, let's spin the wheel and see what we have today.
Poke: boom. Quince!
Amiyah: The wheel spun to the quince, a fragrant golden fruit beloved by ancient cooks and nearly forgotten today. The hosts could not wait to rediscover it.
Poke: Buckle up, folks. We are doing quince today.
Amiyah: Give me the history. Where did quince begin?
Poke: Quince has been grown for thousands of years across the Middle East, the Caucasus, and the Mediterranean. It appears in some of the oldest stories and feasts in history.
Amiyah: Okay, that is so good to know.
Poke: Too hard and tart to eat raw, quince was almost always cooked, and it became a treasured fruit for jellies, pastes, and perfumed desserts.
Amiyah: Okay, hit me with the fun facts.
Poke: Quince fills a room with a sweet floral fragrance as it ripens.
Amiyah: That tracks.
Poke: It turns from pale yellow to a rosy pink when cooked.
Amiyah: Wait, really?
Poke: It is rich in natural pectin, so it sets jellies beautifully.
Amiyah: Okay, that is so good to know.
Poke: It is related to apples and pears.
Amiyah: How many kinds are we talking about here?
Poke: Quince comes in a few shapes, some rounder like apples and some longer like pears.
Amiyah: Go on.
Poke: Apple shaped quince is round and firm.
Amiyah: Pear shaped quince is longer and slightly softer.
Poke: Wait, really?
Amiyah: Pineapple quince has a bright, tangy aroma.
Amiyah: Now let us take a trip. How is it used around the world?
Poke: In Spain, quince becomes a firm sweet paste called membrillo.
Amiyah: I did not know that at all.
Poke: In Iran, quince is stewed into hearty savory dishes.
Amiyah: That tracks.
Poke: In the Balkans, it is cooked into fragrant preserves.
Amiyah: Wait, really?
Poke: In Britain, quince has long been baked into tarts and jellies.
Amiyah: Time for the Myth of the Week. What do people get wrong?
Poke: A lot of people think some think you can bite into a quince like an apple.
Amiyah: Amazing.
Poke: Here is the truth. Raw quince is hard and astringent. The magic happens when you cook it, turning it soft, rosy, and sweetly fragrant.
Poke: A listener wrote in. Let us hear it.
Poke: Why does quince turn pink when you cook it?
Amiyah: Great question.
Amiyah: Long, gentle cooking changes the natural compounds in the fruit, slowly turning the pale flesh a beautiful rosy pink.
Amiyah: Let me give you my honest, unvarnished opinion.
Amiyah: I will be real, this one is growing on me the more we talk about it.
Poke: Classic Amiyah take. I respect the commitment to the bit.
Amiyah: Amiyah loves quince cooked into a firm sweet paste with cheese.
Poke: Poke prefers it gently poached until rosy and tender.
Poke: I am just a palm tree, but even I think that is a spicy take.
Amiyah: Time for the Fun Fact Lightning Round.
Amiyah: Quince is related to apples and pears.
Poke: It is too hard to eat raw.
Amiyah: It smells wonderfully floral.
Poke: It turns pink when cooked.
Amiyah: Quick recap before we cook.
Poke: The hosts learned that quince is a fragrant ancient fruit, hard and tart raw but magical when cooked into rosy pastes, preserves, and perfumed desserts across the Mediterranean and beyond.
Amiyah: Let us close it out with something delicious.
Poke: Today we are making Poached Quince. The full ingredients and steps are right below.
Amiyah: Thanks for spinning with us. Spin It. Learn It. Love It.™
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