Loquat vs Apricot: What's the Difference?
Short answer: A loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is a pome in the apple subfamily, with thin orange skin, juicy tangy-sweet flesh, and two to four large glossy brown seeds in the middle. An apricot (Prunus armeniaca) is a stone fruit with velvety orange skin, firmer flesh, and a single flat pit. Loquats are juicier and more tart with big smooth seeds; apricots are firmer with a rough single stone. Both ripen in spring and share the colour, which is why they're confused.
| 🧡 Loquat | 🧡 Apricot | |
|---|---|---|
| Taste | Juicy and refreshing — apricot meets plum with citrus-floral high notes and a gentle astringency near the skin. Best slightly chilled, dead-ripe, when the balance tips just past tart. | Ripe apricots are honeyed and musky with apricot's unmistakable perfume and a velvet skin; underripe (most supermarket fruit) they're mealy and mute. Dried, the flavor concentrates to caramel-tang. |
| Type | Pome | Stone fruit |
| Peak season | Spring | Summer, Spring |
| Origin | South-central China; long cultivated in Japan (hence the misleading species name "japonica") | Central Asia and northwestern China (the "armeniaca" name records Rome's supply route, not the birthplace) |
| Calories (per 100 g) | 47 | 48 |
| Sugar (per 100 g) | 9 g | 9.2 g |
| Vitamin C (per 100 g) | 1 mg | 10 mg |
| Typical price | Mid | Mid |
Pick up a loquat and an apricot and you might not tell them apart until you bite in - both are small, orange, and spring-ripe. Inside, they’re built differently.
The loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is a pome, a cousin of the apple and pear rather than the apricot it resembles. Its thin, downy orange skin peels easily to reveal juicy, tangy-sweet flesh wrapped around two to four large, glossy brown seeds. Loquats bruise easily and don’t ship well, which is why they’re mostly a local, seasonal treat.
The apricot (Prunus armeniaca) is a true stone fruit, with velvety skin, firmer and drier flesh, and a single flat pit that slips out cleanly. It holds up far better to handling, drying, and cooking. The two share a season and a colour, and the loquat’s old nickname “Japanese medlar” adds to the confusion, but the seeds give it away every time.
The quick test: several big shiny seeds and juicy tart flesh is a loquat; one rough pit and firmer flesh is an apricot.
Frequently asked questions
Are loquats and apricots related?
Only distantly - both are in the rose family, but different branches. A loquat is a pome (like an apple or pear), in the genus Eriobotrya, while an apricot is a stone fruit in the genus Prunus. So a loquat is closer to an apple than to an apricot, despite looking like the latter.
How do I tell them apart when they look identical?
Cut them open. A loquat holds two to four large, shiny, dark-brown seeds clustered in the centre; an apricot has one flat, rough pit. Loquat skin is also thinner and more delicate, and its flesh is juicier and more tart.
Why is a loquat sometimes called a Japanese medlar?
It's an old name based on a superficial resemblance, but a loquat isn't a true medlar (Mespilus germanica). Unlike a medlar, a loquat is eaten fresh and ripe rather than softened by bletting.