Loquats / Nesperas in Season and a Delicious Fruit

Loquat / Nespera Time is Here

Ripe Loquat (or Nespera), Spain / Portugal variety, about 5cm (1.75 inch)

A Lesser-Known Tasty Fruit, available nearly worldwide

I first encountered the Loquat, which grows on an evergreen shrub or tree, while in Houston, Texas.  There were plenty of the bushes growing around the neighborhoods, and it seemed like nearly everyone owned the plants just for the lovely sweet-smelling fragrant flowers — I only encountered one other person in the neighborhood that actually ate the fruit.

Since then, I have become quite a fan of a good loquat (or nespera, níspero, nespolo in  Porgugal, Spain, and Italy respectively), and the varieties grown in the southwest of the European Union region are just wonderful.  The Loquat cultivars I found in Texas produced fruit that were perhaps an inch in diameter, which didn't leave much actual fruit after removing the group of large seeds in the middle.  But, as pictured above, these Spanish and Portuguese varieties get quite substantial — nearly 2 inches in diameter — and, even more importantly, they may best be described as simply succulent.

Loquat Taste, Texture, Nutrition Profile

I quite enjoy the rather distinct flavor and texture of loquats.  I consume the thin outer skin along with the slightly tangy flesh, but I first cut them in half and remove the inner seed ovules and the thin membrane around the seeds.  The flesh has a mildly acidic, semi-citrus-like flavor profile — perhaps quite similar to a ripe mango — that combines with flavors of peach or even a hint of apple, or at least that is my opinion. The flavor is complex and enjoyable for its unique mix of characteristics.

Since the plants grow in many different regions of the world, you may be lucky enough to find them at your local grocery or simply growing on a tree nearby, and this would be the time of the year (in the northern hemisphere) when you should start seeing the lovely orange fruits ripening.

Another gluten-free treat that is healthy to eat!  The fruit have a fair amount of Vitamin-A, Vitamin B6, Potassium, and Manganese, as well as some other trace minerals and vitamins. Combine that with the enjoyable taste, and the loquat is an all around winner.  As for the loquat price: this depends quite a bit on where you are and whether any commercialization of the fruit even exists.  In Houston, TX, I never saw them in the stores and instead had to go looking for friends with the trees in their yards where I could pick some. In Spain, Portugal, and the Mediterranean region, they are quite easy to find at a grocery or fruit stand, and depending on the time of the picking-season, they may range from the USD ($) equivalent of $1-1.50 per pound, which is quite reasonable.

Continue to read this Gluten-Free Blog for all sorts of gluten-free recipes, product-reviews, and related information. In addition, visit my Gluten-Free Recipes Site where many of the recipes I have featured on this blog are available.

Gluten-Free: in Houston, Texas

After spending our entire lives in Ohio prior to 2010, my wife and I are both now officially Texans!  Our house in Ohio, which we really liked and will probably never be able to replace, sold quickly after we essentially put it on the market at "fire sale" pricing once we came to the conclusion that the logistics of two-State living was going to be really difficult to maintain, if not impossible.

Now that were are both in Texas full time, we are getting a feel for the Gluten-Free diet scene here in the Houston area, and so far so good.

Houston, TX : Gluten-Free Benefit #1 :
Citrus in the back yard

This lovely grapefruit tree is within just a few feet of our back window.  It is actually quite a large tree -  around 25' high by 30' wide - and although it is technically the neighbor's tree, it hangs over the fence into our yard area a good 10 feet or more, so there are plenty of tasty grapefruit hanging into our yard for easy picking.

And, if grapefruit were not enough to enjoy, there is another orange tree nearby also hanging into the yard.  So, fresh citrus is always a great thing in my book!  mmmm!  Makes up for the summertime heat and humidity in Houston, TX perhaps :)

Houston, TX : Gluten-Free Benefit #2 :

Some Nice Restaurant Options

Having only been in Houston, TX for a short time, my experience with gluten-free restaurants in the area is limited, but it is growing as I find out what is in the region and "safe" for Celiac persons.  Earlier this year, we went out with a group of people to a Brazilian steakhouse, Fogo de Chao, which although pricier than I would prefer, had quite a nice selection of meats that are supposed to be gluten-free, as well as a fantastic "salad bar" (much more than salad on it) with a wide variety of gluten-free items too.  I found the meat to be fantastic quality cuts that were quite tasty, but it was all much too salty to be my ideal (that fact alone will keep me from eating there regularly).

A much preferred gluten-free friendly restaurant for regular attendance in Houston is a restaurant with fantastic and rather healthy Tex-Mex options : Taco Milagro restaurant on the corner of Kirby and Westheimer.  Everything we have tried at Taco Milagro is AMAZING [UPDATE: sadly, they ended up closing down], and we now suffer from gluten-free Tex-Mex cravings on a regular basis... cravings that this restaurant alone can satisfy!  Highly recommended!  I must issue a well-deserved THANK YOU to Heather of Gluten-Free-Foodie.net who emailed me welcoming us to Houston, and who also wrote a great review of Taco Milagro's gluten-free diet menu items.  Her review had us sold before we ever went, and it only got better with first-hand experience!

On the more mainstream side of things, there is always P.F. Chang's China Bistro within 15 minutes drive, though I am sure I will be spending much, much more time at Taco Milagro than PF Changs.  I like Asian food quite a bit, and though I like some of the gluten-free menu items at Changs, I find there food to be a bit "generic" for me and also overly salty (like most restaurant food).

Houston, TX : Gluten-Free Benefit #3 :

Decent Access to Gluten-Free Items

As one may expect of any major city, Houston offers a pretty decent array of stores that cater to the gluten-free diet : be it ingredients or finished products.  There is easy access to CostCo for much of our fresh produce, and even an occasional Rotisserie chicken (they make a decent roasted chicken that is gluten-free according to the package; bit salty, but nice flavor).  We also have Whole Foods Markets in the area, and a chain of stores called H.E.B. (Here Everything's Better) and their associated "Central Market" store(s), and other more specialized diet stores too.

I have been pleased with HEB gluten-free selections, including some of their own branded HEB products - like their pasta sauces - which clearly state "Gluten-Free" on the label, and these self-branded items have been quite reasonable.  HEB impressed me with their wide selection of products in general.  This is the store where I first encountered the awesome gluten-free yogurt from Cultural Revolution (which is in the midst of being re-branded as "Kalona SuperNatural").  The store has a lot of Schar brand gluten-free items (pasta, crackers, cookies, and more) in addition to a wide range of others.  I generally do not buy pre-made gluten-free desserts and snacks (we tend to make our own), but it is nice knowing there are options close by if "needed".

Houston, TX : Gluten-Free Future...

I will certainly have much more Houston, Texas gluten-free insight after being here full time for more than a couple weeks.  My wife and I have plans to get out and check into more restaurants, shopping, and the gluten-free scene in general to see what this region has to offer those with Celiac Disease.

As we find more wheat-free and gluten-free diet-worthy notables in the region, I will certainly blog about them.