Quince, a close relative of apples and pears.

Quince is a small tree or shrub of the family Rosaceae. The scientific name of quince comes from the city of Sidon (now Chania) in Crete, where it has been bred since ancient times. The leaves of the quince like the leaves of a tree, and the flowers are large, pink or white and often sold as an ornamental. Fruit quince greenish-yellow or Golden, resembling a cross between an Apple and a pear (by the way, they are distant relatives). Fresh quince fruits are hard and sour, but boiled have a soft pink sweet pulp with a granular texture resembling a pear.

The common quince is "sworn sisters": the Chinese quince and Japanese quince. They differ in inflorescences and have a similar taste.