You can eat a loquat out of hand, but it's more pleasant after some prep work.
Outwardly it resembles an apricot, though perhaps yellower and more oblong, but cut it in two, and instead of a single stone, a loquat contains four or five glossy brown seeds. Pry them out, then trim away the surrounding membrane and the calyx, the reddish remnant of the flower. Peel off the skin, too, if you like. (Note that with respect to the first photo, in the second the fruit has been flipped upside down.)
What remained of this loquat, and the rest of my batch ($7.99 per pound, or about $1 each) wasn't as juicy or as sweet as an apricot and lacked that fruit's wonderful perfume. That's based, however, on my encounter with a single cultivar, imported from Chile; there are hundreds more, most of which may never find their way to Sunset Park.
Oh, yes: With a full meal in my belly and baked goods already in the bag, I didn't venture past L&Y's outdoor produce stand. Another time.
L&Y Bakery
5502 Eighth Ave. (at 55th St.), Sunset Park, Brooklyn
718-436-5518
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