"Loquat", a unique spring and summer seasonal fruit, has carried rich historical and cultural connotations and practical value since ancient times.
The sweet flesh of loquat, its unique growth habits and its profound cultural heritage have made loquat a delicacy and cultural symbol in people's hearts.
Picture 01~02): Fresh loquat on the market in the morning
What people don't know is that the original name of loquat comes from the musical instrument "pipa" used in court music performances, but many places refer to loquat as "Lu Tang". What is the historical "origin" between loquat and orange? What are the edible and medicinal values? Because of the existence of "loquat", what historical stories have occurred related to loquat?
In this issue of pictures and texts, Qingjiang Crane will focus on and chat about the topic of loquat with all the teachers and relatives, aiming to lead the teachers to explore the basic biological characteristics, growth habits, as well as its edible, ornamental and medicinal value, and trace the historical stories related to loquat, and finally interpret the profound meaning contained in loquat. I hope you like and actively participate in the interactive comments, forward and share the pictures and texts of this issue.
Picture 03~04): Loquat with a very high appearance
Loquat is a small evergreen tree:
The loquat tree is a small evergreen tree with a beautiful shape and green leaves. It is about 8~10m high. The twigs are stout, yellowish-brown and densely covered with grayish-brown hairs. The leaves are leathery-obovate or elliptic, with short petioles and gray hairs.
The inflorescence is a cone inflorescence in the garden, and its flowers are as white as snow, exuding a faint fragrance, which is a beautiful scenery in winter (October ~ December).
The fruit of loquat is oval or spherical, each fruit is about 3cm ~ 5cm long, and the skin is golden and smooth, just like the "pipa" in musical instruments, so the original loquat is called "pipa" instead of loquat.
The flesh of loquat is soft and juicy, and the taste is delicious. The seeds are spherical or oblate-spherical, bright brown in color. Loquat has a unique growth habit, it is not afraid of the cold, it can bloom in winter and bear fruit in spring, becoming the best fruit tree.
Picture 05~06): Loquat fruit on the market
Loquat is available in both white-fleshed and red-fleshed varieties. Light-loving, temperature-loving, shade-tolerant, cold-tolerant, slow growth and development, the most suitable growth and development temperature is 12 °C ~ 15 °C. The temperature of loquat in winter shall not be less than 5 °C, and the minimum temperature shall not be lower than 0 °C during the flowering and fruiting period.
Loquat is a summer-ripening (open-field) fruit that lasts through four seasons. Chen Haozi of the Qing Dynasty said in "Flower Mirror": "The loquat fruit is unique to the four seasons." In other words, loquat "buds in autumn, blooms in winter, bears seeds in spring, and matures in early summer". This is unique among fruit trees.
Loquat has high edible and ornamental value:
The edible value of loquat is very high, and its pulp is rich in vitamin C, dietary fiber and minerals, fructose, carotene, and various trace elements and other nutrients, which has the effect of moistening the lungs and relieving cough, clearing heat and detoxifying.
Picture 07~08): veraison of loquat
At the turn of spring and summer, a sweet loquat can bring endless coolness and comfort. Eating more loquat aids digestion.
In addition, the loquat tree has an elegant shape, lush foliage, white flowers like snow, and attractive golden fruits, which are of great ornamental value. Loquat trees are often planted in courtyards or parks, not only to beautify the environment, but also to provide a good place for people to escape the heat.
In addition to its edible and ornamental value, loquat also has extremely high medicinal value:
Loquat is not only edible and ornamental, but also has high medicinal value.
The leaves, flowers and fruits of loquat can be used as medicine, which has the effects of treating cough, moistening the lungs and nourishing yin, clearing heat and detoxifying. In TCM theory, loquat is widely used to treat various respiratory diseases. However, loquat nuts can not be eaten (beware of "cyanide" poisoning), pregnant women should not eat more loquat (beware of diarrhea or cause back pain), diabetics eat less loquat (control sugar intake).
Picture 09~10): Loquat blooms
In addition, it should be noted that loquat cough is the effect of "leaves" in medicine, not fresh loquat pulp. That is to say, the loquat fruit does not have the effect of "relieving cough and asthma", it is just an ordinary fruit.
Loquat originates from "pipa", also known as "Lu Tangerine":
Loquat, also known as "batch", originates from "pipa", which is derived from the "pipa" played by the Hu people on horses. Liu Xi of the Han Dynasty "Interpretation of Names" contains: Loquat originally came out of Huzhong, and it was drummed immediately. The front of the push hand is called loquat, but the lead hand is said to be loquat. In the "Interpretation of Names" compiled by Wang Daoqian and others in the Qing Dynasty: "criticism" interprets "loquat", "put" interprets "loquat", that is, "criticizes" as "loquat".
Until the Wei and Jin dynasties, "loquat" officially evolved into "pipa". In the Jin Dynasty Xuanxuan's "Pipa Fu Preface", "loquat" has become an ordinary fruit that people often eat.
So, why do many places call "loquat" as "Lu Tangerine"?
Picture 11~12): Loquat blooms in winter
In the ancient Meishan area of Sichuan, loquat was abundant. The "Lu orange" in Su Shi's memory is this delicious loquat.
Su Shi said in "There are Luohua in the Intuition Courtyard, and there is no time to live in the flowers, and I live with Liu Jingwen on April 18 ~ appreciating loquats": Green darkness welcomes summer at the beginning, and red remnants are not as good as spring. Wei Hua is not his wife, and Lu Tang is a villager. The well falls to the end of the mountain, and the rock cliff is new. The old Hanjun remembers, and the pine snow looks at the scales.
Su Shi said: Peony flowers are not his companions all the time, and "Lu Tangerine" is his hometown. "Lu Tangerine" is "loquat".
Therefore, he wrote in "Eating Lychees": "At the foot of Luofu Mountain, in the fourth spring, Lu orange and bayberry are the newest. Eat 300 lychees a day, and don't hesitate to be a Lingnan person. The "Lu Tangerine" in the poem is loquat.
Picture 13~14): Loquat growing in the mountains
The east garden is full of wine and the west garden is drunk, a tree of loquat and a tree of gold:
Loquat is also closely associated with many historical and cultural stories. Legend has it that ancient literati and writers often used loquat as the theme to chant about its beauty and meaning. The loquat has become a symbol of beauty and purity in poetry and songs.
Dai Retro of the Southern Song Dynasty said in "Early Summer Tour of Zhang Garden": "The water of the duck pond is shallow and deep, and the weather of ripe plum is semi-cloudy and sunny. The east garden is full of wine and the west garden is drunk, and the loquat tree is golden. It is written about the author's life scene feasting and drinking in the "farmhouse".
The Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu said in "Tian She": "Tian She Qingjiang Qu, next to the Chaimen Ancient Road. The grass is deep in the market, and the land is lazy. The zelkova branches are weak, and the loquat tree is fragrant. Cormorants are sunshine in the west, and their fins are full of fish beams. "Loquat is the first fruit to ripen at the beginning of summer. Therefore, Tang Liu Zongyuan also said in "Fengji Shizhou" that "orange pomelo is tea in the early cold, loquat is recommended in summer". Loquat has become the "first fruit at the beginning of summer".
Picture 15~16): Loquat fruit with a very high fruit setting rate
In the long river of history, loquat has also left many moving stories.
Cen Shen, a northerner in the Tang Dynasty, said in "Going to Jiazhou to Cross Chenggu County to Find Yong'an Chao Zen Master's Room": "The trees are full of loquat flowers in winter, and the old monks see each other with robes. The snow in the north of the Han Dynasty is in the early days, and the west of Han Xintai is oblique. There is no need to urge five horses outside the door, and three cars are heard in the forest. Unexpectedly, Bachuan has many victories, and he will report to Jinghua for the king's book."
The poem is about the first time in Cen Shen's life when he lived in Chenggu County, Hanzhong, he saw the loquat trees blooming in winter, and he was very excited, so he took this "victory" as a big news, and hurriedly wrote a letter to his friends in Beijing to "report the good news".
Zhou Bida of the Song Dynasty said in "Loquat": "The golden clusters at the bottom of the glazed leaves are used to sniff the clear food." But the flavor is little known, and the spring breeze and summer are cooked".
The poet of Zhou rarely saw loquats, and for him, a northerner, loquat was just a fruit on the "picture", so after seeing and tasting loquat, he sighed: "Loquat has such a wonderful flavor, but unfortunately too few people know it."
Picture 17~18): Loquat at veraison
These historical stories not only show the delicacy of loquat, but also highlight its important position in ancient society. These historical stories not only enrich the cultural connotation of loquat, but also make it an indispensable part of the traditional history and culture of the Chinese nation.
Loquat symbolizes good luck and reunion:
Loquat symbolizes beauty, auspiciousness and reunion in traditional Chinese history and culture. Its golden fruits symbolize abundance and wealth, while its white flowers symbolize purity and elegance.
In traditional festivals and celebrations, people often give loquat as a gift to relatives and friends, implying good wishes and hopes. In addition, loquat also symbolizes the spirit of perseverance, which can bloom proudly in the bitter cold and show tenacious vitality.
Loquat and citrus are planted together, and there is a prayer for "fortune and treasure". Loquat and pomegranate are planted together, which has the metaphor of "many sons and many blessings". Loquat is planted with "ginkgo", which has the good blessing of "golden and jade good fate".
Picture 19~20): The green fruit stage of loquat
Taste loquat and feel life:
Loquat has become an indispensable part of people's lives due to its unique biological characteristics, growth habits, and rich edible, ornamental and medicinal values.
By exploring the mystery of loquat and tasting its deliciousness, we can not only feel the magic and beauty of nature, but also understand the true meaning of life and the philosophy of life.
Let us taste loquat at the same time, but also learn to cherish every beauty and touching in life.
Picture 21~22): Flowering and fruiting of loquat