Know2eat

Quince

Cydonia oblonga

What quince has been studied for

1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 1 Insufficient
3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About quince

A hard, intensely fragrant golden pome that is astringent and inedible raw in most cultivars. Long cooking turns the flesh pink and tender, which is why it is used almost entirely for membrillo, jelly and stews.

Also known as Common quince, Membrillo, Ayva

Gut & Digestive Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Digestive comfort

Gut & Digestive Health
Insufficient evidence

Quince syrup has been tested in a small number of trials for nausea in pregnancy and for reflux symptoms, mostly from a single research setting. The studies are few and small, and no dependable conclusion can be drawn about the fruit.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Quince

Ask about Quince

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories57 kcal3%
Protein0.4 g1%
Total fat0.1 g0%
Carbohydrate15.3 g6%
Fibre1.9 g7%
Water83.8 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.01 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.036 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.05 g—
Cholesterol0 mg0%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.049 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A2 µg0%
Vitamin C15 mg17%
Thiamin (B1)0.02 mg2%
Riboflavin (B2)0.03 mg2%
Niacin (B3)0.2 mg1%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.081 mg2%
Vitamin B60.04 mg2%
Folate3 µg1%
Vitamin B120 µg0%
Minerals
Calcium11 mg1%
Iron0.7 mg4%
Magnesium8 mg2%
Phosphorus17 mg1%
Potassium197 mg4%
Sodium4 mg0%
Zinc0.04 mg0%
Copper0.13 mg14%
Selenium0.6 µg1%
Other measured compounds
Ash0.4 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Quinces, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 168163).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • cookedReduces astringent tannins

    Prolonged cooking polymerises the soluble tannins responsible for astringency and turns the flesh pink through the same reactions. It also gelatinises the pectin, which is what sets membrillo.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Worth knowing

    Raw quince is astringent and hard

    Most cultivars are too tannic and too woody to eat raw, and attempting it is unpleasant rather than dangerous. The USDA raw entry is a laboratory reference, not a serving suggestion.

  • Avoid

    Seeds contain cyanogenic glycosides

    Quince pips carry amygdalin and are surrounded by a mucilage. Recipes remove the core; grinding seeds into a preparation is not safe and quince seed infusions have been the subject of poisoning warnings.

  • Allergy

    Rosaceae cross-reactivity

    Quince is a Rosaceae pome related to apple and pear and can provoke oral allergy in birch-sensitised people, though cooking usually removes the problem.