Quince paste is called Crema de Membrillo in Spanish. The word membrillo derives from the Latin melimelum, which means honey apple and refers to quince or a preserve made of quince. This relative of the apple and pear is a native of the Caucasus resembling a large, yellow, lumpy pear. Making quince preserves was one of the first uses of the pectin that occurs naturally in fruit. Spanish quince paste is most often eaten with traditional Spanish cheeses, such as Manchego and aged Mahon.
