This Hacker News discussion revolves around the medlar fruit, its historical names, its current availability, and its unique ripening process. A secondary theme emerges about the evolution of other plants and animals, particularly concerning human selection for desirable traits.
The Medlar Fruit: Obscure Names and Curious Ripening
The discussion begins with the "obscure" and often vulgar historical names for the medlar fruit, highlighting its "bottom-like" appearance. Users share its unappealing aliases from various languages, noting its historical lack of social acceptability in naming.
"for the best part of 900 years, the fruit was called the 'open-arse' – thought to be a reference to the appearance of its own large 'calyx' or bottom. The medlar's aliases abroad were hardly more flattering. In France, it was variously known as 'la partie postérieure de ce quadrupede' (the posterior part of this quadruped), 'cu d'singe' (monkey's bottom), 'cu d'ane' (donkey's bottom), and cul de chien (dog's bottom)… you get the idea." (pavel_lishin)
The unique ripening process of the medlar, known as "bletting," is a significant point of discussion. Users clarify that "bletting" is not actual rotting but a specific enzymatic breakdown that softens the fruit.
"To be clear, you do not let the medlar 'rot' before eating. Rotting involves decay by microorganisms -- fungi, bacteria, yeasts. What the medlar does is totally different. It has an enzyme within it that continues to break down the fruit, so it goes from rock hard to soft and edible. Because this is a different chemical process from traditional ripening, someone gave this the name 'bletting'. But it's definitely not 'rotting'." (crazygringo)
This process is further explained as potentially having an evolutionary advantage, attracting winter animals for seed dispersal.
"There's an evolutionary theory that by delaying when the fruit could be eaten, it could attract animals in the winter that would be more likely to eat it (since other fruits were no longer available) and potentially transport its seeds longer distances."(crazygringo)
The taste is described as unusual, likened to "mealy apples with a citrus note" or "spiced brown apple/pear sauce with a grainy texture."
Medlar's Persistence and Cultural Significance
Despite its unusual names and ripening, the medlar is not entirely forgotten. Several users report growing it in their gardens or finding it in specific cultural contexts, indicating its continued, albeit niche, presence.
"Got it growing in our garden, so not that forgotten." (rwmj) "Same, in Hungary it is also popular enough. Now I want to eat it; Although I have never seen in stores around Switzerland." (kmarc) "In Germany you can sometimes find it at Turkish grocery stores. I grew up eating it every autumn. It's still common in my part of Romania." (rciorba) "My friend's dad grows them in his garden in Greece, we bletted and ate some last year." (YeGoblynQueenne) "Forgotten by some, maybe, but there are many Iranian-American and Armenian-American families with medlar trees in their suburban LA yards. It is sold at Paradise Nursery in Chatsworth." (a1pulley)
The fruit's appearance in historical art and its inclusion in botanical studies are also noted.
"Actual credit for the hero-image engraving is Crispijn van de Passe (attributed, at least), sometime between 1600–1604, currently in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam." (perihelions)
One user highlights its traditional use in Basque culture as a symbol of authority, further underscoring its less common historical narratives.
"If you are looking for more bizarre ways the Medlar pops up in strange places, here's a page about its traditional use in Basque culture as a symbol of authority: [link]" (nkurz)
The complexity of its botanical classification, with confusion arising from similar-sounding names and shared traits with other genera like Crataegus and Vangueria, is also pointed out.
The Broader Theme of Human-Guided Evolution and Selective Breeding
The discussion broadens to the general topic of human intervention in the evolution of plants and animals, using other examples beyond the medlar. The dramatic changes in watermelons and chickens due to selective breeding are cited as fascinating instances of this phenomenon.
"Speaking of forgotten fruit. The evolution of watermelon is fascinating. It happened in (relatively) recent human history and has really stark changes. There are old paintings of watermelon from the 17th century and it looks nothing like modern watermelon." (cogman10) "Another wild human guided evolution is the evolution of the chicken. That one literally happened in the last 100 years. A modern chicken is 3x larger than a chicken from the 1950s." (cogman10)
The example of the pug is used to illustrate how extreme selective breeding can alter the appearance of animals to the point where efforts are made to reintroduce ancestral traits.
"I'm reminded of what we did to the pug, which used to look like this: [link] Some breeders are trying to breed these traits back in, yielding the 'Retro Pug' unofficial breed. Even the old pug is quite a heavy hand we've exerted on dog evolution." (bitwize)
This comparison draws a parallel between the historical manipulation of animal breeds and the long-term impact of human cultivation on fruits like the medlar.
Discussion on Vulgar Fruit Names and Etymological Myths
A tangential but lively sub-theme emerges regarding fruits with vulgar or suggestive names and the etymology behind them. The avocado's name is brought up, with a common misconception about its Nahuatl origin being corrected.
"The English word 'avocado' comes from the Spanish word aguacate, which comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word ahuacatl. This Nahuatl word translates to 'testicle'. The name was likely given to the fruit by the indigenous Nahua people because of its suggestive shape, and the fruit's reputation as an aphrodisiac." (socalgal2)
This is met with a clarification debunking the widespread myth.
"Wherever you got that from has it backwards (it's a myth commonly repeated). The fruit name came first: In Molina's Nahuatl dictionary 'auacatl' is given also as the translation for compañón 'testicle', and this has been taken up in popular culture where a frequent claim is that testicle was the word's original meaning. This is not the case, as the original meaning can be reconstructed as 'avocado' – rather the word seems to have been used in Nahuatl as a euphemism for 'testicle'." (crazygringo)