The Standard (St. Catharines, Ontario)
September 21, 2005 Wednesday
Final Edition
EU’s door still open for Turkey: Close vote in German election could
prevent de-facto veto of Ankara’s membership application
by Gwynne Dyer, Special to The Standard
The near-tie in the German election, in which Chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder came from 13 percentage points behind conservative
challenger Angela Merkel in late August to less than one point behind
her by the Sept. 18 vote, has thrown German politics into turmoil,
but one thing is clear. The door through which Turkey hopes to enter
the European Union, which Merkel had promised to slam shut, is still
open. The entry negotiations begin Oct. 3 and Turkey is still a
candidate for full membership.
Merkel launched a high-profile campaign last month to block Turkey’s
entry, sending letters to EU leaders in other countries asking them
to offer Turkey not full membership but only “privileged
partnership.” “We are firmly convinced,” she wrote, “that Turkey’s
membership would overtax the EU economically and socially and
endanger the process of European integration.” In other words, Turks
are poor (though she did not object to other candidates like Bulgaria
and Romania that are not significantly richer), they’re Muslim, and
there are far too many of them.
It was a cynical appeal to the anti-Turkish and anti-Muslim
prejudices of German voters who are already uncomfortable with the
growing diversity of their county (about three per cent of Germany’s
80 million people are of Turkish origin), and fear a further influx
of immigrants if Turkey joins the EU. It was also bit late in the day
to raise such objections, since Turkey has been a recognized
candidate for full EU membership for the past six years. But if
Angela Merkel had become the leader of a strong majority government
in Germany, the biggest country in the EU, the Turks would have been
betrayed and rejected once again.
Turkey has tied itself into knots in order to meet the EU’s standards
for membership, and that has been a good thing for the Turks, who now
live in a far more just, equal and democratic country than they did a
decade ago. But they do feel that they have kept their side of the
bargain, and only six months ago, all three of the most powerful EU
countries, Germany, France and Britain, firmly backed Turkey’s
membership.
But then came the French and Dutch votes last May and June that
rejected the proposed new EU constitution and the whole scene turned
sour.
France wavered first, with new prime minister Dominique de Villepin
pandering to anti-Muslim sentiments in France by sounding very cool
about the prospects for Turkish membership. Then Angela Merkel in
Germany went further, advocating only “privileged partnership” for
Turkey — and though Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder still backed
Turkey’s membership, her election victory seemed so certain that
Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul felt compelled to warn that
“should (the EU) place anything short of full membership (on the
table), or any new conditions, we will walk away. And this time it
will be for good.” Only Britain still backed Turkey unequivocally.
To make matters worse, Turkey announced that while it would sign a
customs deal opening up trade with all 25 EU members, it would still
not recognize the government of the Republic of Cyprus, one of the 10
countries that joined the EU in May, 2004. French president Jacques
Chirac promptly tried to turn that declaration into a proof of
Turkish bad faith, insisting that it “poses political and legal
problems and is not in the spirit expected of a candidate to the
Union.”
In fact, it was quite reasonable, since Cyprus has been divided since
a Greek-Cypriot coup in 1974 that aimed to unite the island with
Greece triggered a Turkish invasion to protect the Turkish-speaking
minority. The government of the “Republic of Cyprus” rules only the
Greek-speaking part of the island. Last year, both the
Turkish-Cypriots and Turkey itself supported a United Nations plan to
reunite Cyprus while the Greek-Cypriots rejected it, so Abdullah Gul
felt fully justified in refusing to recognize the current government
in Nicosia as the sole representative of all Cypriots — but he did
promise “to establish relations with the new partnership government
that will emerge following a comprehensive settlement on Cyprus.”
Even the start of Turkey’s membership talks early next month was
looking in doubt. Cheat the Turks on that and they would surely walk
away, abandoning the vision of a broader Europe that rises above the
old mutual fear and suspicion between Christians and Muslims, and
also ending all hope that countries east of Turkey, like Georgia and
Armenia, might one day qualify for EU membership. The situation
looked pretty grim — and then Angela Merkel stumbled.
She may yet end up as chancellor of Germany at the head of some
awkward three-party coalition — the outcome may not be known for a
month or more — but it would not be the kind of strong, cohesive
government that could impose a de-facto German veto on Turkish
membership of the EU. And it could even be the Comeback Kid himself,
Gerhard Schroeder, a strong supporter of Turkey, who forms the next
German government.
As for Cyprus, EU ambassadors agreed in Brussels last Monday that
while Ankara must eventually recognize the government of Cyprus, that
can happen at any point in the entry negotiations, which are expected
to last up to 10 years. That leaves plenty of time for a settlement
that includes Turkish-Cypriots, too, so Ankara will go along with it.
One more crisis has been surmounted and the talks will begin Oct. 3
as planned.
Gwynne Dyer is a London-based independent journalist whose articles
are published in 45 countries.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Calgary Sun (Alberta)
September 20, 2005 Tuesday
EARLY EDITION
MUSIC FANS FEEL DOWN
BY GARY GRAFF, SUN NEWS SERVICES
NEW YORK
There was a surprise waiting for System of a Down on the group’s
recent tour of Europe.
The crowds were exuberantly into the material from the Los Angeles
quartet’s latest album, Mezmerize, as well as their three previous
ones.
But then, says guitarist Daron Malakian, “we played some of the songs
we haven’t released yet, and some of the kids were already singing
along to them — just from what they’ve heard on the Internet, I
guess.
“I think it’s amazing,” Malakian says.
“It doesn’t freak me out at all. I think the fact that people are
that interested is great, you know?”
There’s no question interest runs high for System, which played the
Saddledome last night, these days — higher, probably, than for any
other rock band, with the exception of the red-hot Coldplay.
Mezmerize and the upcoming Hypnotize, a second album that was
recorded during the same sessions, have raised the excitement to a
fever pitch.
After its mid-May release, Mezmerize debuted at No. 1 on the
Billboard Top 200 chart in the U.S. and in more than a dozen other
countries, and has sold more than two million copies worldwide.
Malakian, the group’s primary songwriter and co-producer of its
albums, is stoked by the reception. “Not too many people are
interested in rock bands these days,” he says.
“For me to be in a rock band people are actually interested in is
really special for me.”
And how did that band turn out to be System? “Honesty, man. It’s just
honesty,” Malakian says. “From the first day, we were never worried
about, ‘Are we going to get a record deal or not? Is radio going to
play it or not?’ When I sit at home writing the songs, I don’t think,
‘What’s going to be the hook?’ or ‘Is this going to be a single?’ We
haven’t changed the way we think. What we’re doing right is basically
not compromising our real emotions in our music.”
That first day was back in the mid-1990s, when the group — whose
other members are singer Serj Tankian, bassist Shavo Odadjian and
drummer John Dolmayan –formed after meeting in Armenian community
centres in Los Angeles. All four band members are Armenian-American,
and their songs reflect their background, delving into issues such as
genocide and oppression.
But it was their sound that really set them apart. Rather than
following after more conventional groups such as Korn and Deftones,
which defined the new-metal scene, System delivered its own
aggressive spin, marked by frenetic, jagged arrangements, sharp tempo
changes and stream-of-consciousness lyrics.
It was a wholly originally sound, sophisticated and even a little
weird — though Malakian says that wasn’t by design.
“I really take a songwriter’s approach,” the guitarist says. “A lot
of people talk about the strange time signatures and riffs and all
this technical stuff, but I’m not chopping up riffs or anything like
that.
“I approach it like writing the songs … It’s a very traditional
songwriting style.”
That weird quality definitely has big appeal. System’s eponymous 1998
debut album went platinum thanks to nearly two years of worldwide
touring — including the first of two stints at Ozzfest, the
heavy-metal concert series. Mezmerize and Hypnotize will keep System
touring well into 2006, but Malakian is already eyeballing his
creative life beyond that.
He has been producing, working with the band Amen for his own
eatURmusic label and Bad Acid Trip for Tankian’s Serjical Strike
imprint.
Malakian also talks about doing an electronic music project.
But, he says, the outside activities will remain adjuncts to the
band’s work.
“There’s plenty of stuff I’d like to do outside System,” Malakian
says.
“I think it all bounces off each other and makes each thing better.”
– – –
Editor’s note: A review of last night’s show was not available by
presstime. For Mike Bell’s review, go to calgarysun.com

Calgary Sun (Alberta)
September 20, 2005 Tuesday
FINAL EDITION
POWER PLAYERS
BY MIKE BELL, CALGARY SUN
Sometimes, to open a mind, you must use force. A hammer. A sack of
doorknobs. Or, in the case of Armenian-American rock act System of a
Down, a rhythm section plucked straight from a construction site and
a guitar you could carve a side of beef with.
All the better to cram into your cranium the band’s socially and
politically charged material. And, as was the case last night at the
Saddledome in front of a crowd of 12,000 or so, all the better to put
on one of the best, one of the most intelligent and one of the most
memorable arena metal shows to come through this city in ages.
It was the antithesis — some might say the antidote — to this
year’s double dose of Crue concerts.
System, like, say, Tool a couple of years ago, showed metal can be
heavy, loud and brutal enough to knock you senseless, while knocking
sense into you at the same time.
They showed you don’t need contortionists and midgets when the music
and message are powerful enough in their own right. In fact, the bare
stage, simple lighting and lack of excess energy exuded in on-stage
antics was barely missed when you were bludgeoned with the throbbing,
relentless sonic attack of the quartet’s superb musicianship.
Leading off with Soldier Side from behind a spotlit curtain and
B.Y.O.B from their latest album Mezmerize, SOAD offered a healthy
barrage of material from that album, their self-titled debut, even
their rarities album and most importantly, their career-making,
groundbreaking release, Toxicity.
Again, frontman Serj Tankian seemed, at times, to be going through
the metal motions, but his whisper-to-a-primal-scream more than made
up for it.
As did the rest of the band, who induced the crowd into a sea of
clap-happy moshers with their good-natured goading and semi-spastic
soloing, including a brief blood-letting from guitarist Daron
Malakian, prior to a blistering, yet oddly moving version of
Mezmerize’s answer to the Bush administration’s answer to Sept. 11,
Sad Statue. And then, later, a reworking of Dire Straits’ Sultans of
Swing into a more personalized version.
It just kept coming — the ferocity, the force and the filling for
that forcefully pried-open mind.
And they didn’t insult their audience by coming on for a
predetermined encore — they played long, they played loud and they
played smart.
Setting the challenging note for the rest of the show — although
maybe setting the experimental bar a little too high — were
Sacramento noise merchants Hella.
Watching their baffling, filling-rattling set, you couldn’t help but
feel violated. The feedback-heavy structurally retarded sound orgy
was akin to being dropped inside an Escher print and beaten through
the confusion by a board with a nail in it.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing? I’m still not sure. Next up was
the psychedelic space odyssey of The Mars Volta.
Years ago, in the very same Saddledome, Sonic Youth opened for Neil
Young in one of the most polarizing warm-up performances I’ve ever
seen. Knowing Young’s classic rock fans, it was easy to understand
the animosity and downright aggression directed at the NYC alt-rock
pioneers.
But last night, the venom directed by a little less than half the
audience towards the odd, but nonetheless accessible Floydian and
Hawkwindian soundscapes created by the brilliantly out-there outfit
was rather disappointing, especially considering the cannabis cumulus
hovering inside the ‘Dome.
Musically and visually — the light show and backdrop were fittingly
trippy and afroed frontman Cedric Bixler Zavala was an awe-inspiring
and entertaining cross between James Brown, Prince and Beck — The
Mars Volta’s brilliant hour-long experience was as high as you can
get while still being tethered to this Earth.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Contact: Talin Gregorian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
ANCA-WR WRAPS UP LOCAL SUMMER INTERNSHIP
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America-Western
Region (ANCA-WR) recently wrapped up its Annual Summer Internship
Program, which took place at the regional offices in Glendale, CA.
The internship program is an opportunity for Armenian American youth
to gain the experience of grassroots community outreach by working on
a variety of issues of concern to Armenian American communities such
as increasing Armenian American political activism at the local level
and developing economic links between California and the Republic of
Armenia.
`This internship allows us to further advance our grassroots efforts
in the Armenian American communities. Having the opportunity to help
the youth perfect its grassroots and advocacy skills will ensure that
the Armenian Cause will continue to advance,’ said ANCA-WR Board
member Leonard Manoukian.
This year’s interns were chosen from a large pool of young Armenian
American community-leaders and activists. Through the extensive
application process completed by the ANCA-WR Executive Board, Kaiane
Habeshian and Shant Krikorian were selected for the six-week program.
Kaiane Habeshian, a resident of Waltham, MA, is in her second year at
Brandeis University in Massachusetts where she plans on double
majoring in Biology and Spanish. For the past three years, Kaiane has
been a copyeditor for The Armenian Weekly. She is also currently
playing a key role in establishing an Armenian Student Association at
her university.
Shant Krikorian who is a resident of Glendale, CA is in his first year
at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He has grown up as
an active member of the Armenian American community, having been a
Patrol Leader in the Homenetmen Glendale `Ararat’ Chapter’s Scouting
Division. He was also most recently a board member of the
Transnational Council of the European Union Center of California.
The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a
broad range of issues.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

IranMania, Iran
Sept 21 2005
Andimeshk’s Armenian Church in limbo
Wednesday, September 21, 2005 – ©2005 IranMania.com

LONDON, September 21 (IranMania) – Despite the lapse of one year
since an Armenian church in Andimeshk, Khuzestan province, was handed
over to the Cultural Heritage Department for being transformed into a
museum, no construction work has yet taken place at the site,
according to Iran Daily.
The Persian daily ?Iran? reported that Iran?s Cultural Heritage and
Tourism Organization (ICHTO) had earlier announced plans to turn the
Armenian Church into a museum and correspondence was exchanged with
the Southern Armenian Archdiocese which had accepted the plan.
Deputy head of the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department in
Khuzestan, Shojaei said that the Armenian Archdiocese has urged the
ICHTO to repair the church, but, this was not possible due to a
shortage of funds.
He said that the cooperation of Armenian Archdiocese to cede the
church for use as a public museum is praiseworthy adding that it
would be useful for Khuzestan province.
The official pointed out that Khuzestan is ancient and every city in
the province deserves to have its own museum.
Khuzestan province is an archeology paradise, he said citing ancient
cities of Shoush, Abadan, Haft Tapeh and Behbahan which are renowned
for several hundred monuments and cultural sites.
He said that ICHTO has also drawn up plans to build museums in
Shoushtar, Dezful, Masjed Soleiman, Izeh and Abadan which will
materialize in the near future.
He said that a sum of seven bln rials has been earmarked for building
museums in different cities of Khuzestan province.

National Legal Internet Portal, Belarus
Sept 21 2005
Sitting of Belarusian-Armenian commission on trade-economic
cooperation to be held in November in Yerevan
The development of friendly Belarusian-Armenian ties is based on good
relations between leaders of the two countries, Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Armenia to Belarus Suren
Harutyunyan told in an interview with BelTA on September 21, the day
Armenia celebrates its Independence Day.
Suren Harutyunyan noted that there are all presuppositions for
boosting trade-economic cooperation between the two states. To this
end a sitting of the intergovernmental Belarusian-Armenian commission
on trade-economic cooperation is planned to be held in Yerevan
November this year.
A business forum and an exhibition of Belarusian goods will be
attached to the sitting. The Armenian entrepreneurs will have an
opportunity to get acquainted with the Belarusian economy and find
business partners.

WAM – Emirates News Agency, United Arab Emirates
Sept 21 2005
Sharjah Ruler returns
Sep 21, 2005 – 06:25 –
Sharjah Ruler returns Sharjah, 21 September 2005(WAM)–H.H Dr. Sheikh
Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of
Sharjah returned home Tuesday from an official visit to Armenia.
During his three day visit, Sheikh Sultan met Armenian President
Robert Kocharian , who decorated him with the Order of Saint Mesrob
Mashtots. Saint Mesrob order is the highest order in Armenia and was
conferred on Sheikh Sultan in recognition of his contribution to the
UAE Armenian relations in addition to his role in the fields of
education and culture. Sheikh Sultan met Armenian Prime Minister
Andranik Markarian.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Armenian National Committee of America – Western Region
104 North Belmont Street, Suite 200
Glendale, California 91206
Phone: 818.500.1918 Fax: 818.246.7353
[email protected]
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PRESS RELEASE
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Contact: Talin Gregorian
Tel: (818) 500-1918
THE ANCA-WR PRAISES THE ARMENIAN RELIEF SOCIETY’S EFFORTS IN HURRICANE RELIEF
— Regional ARS Leadership Has Begun Collecting Aid for the Survivors
of Hurricane Katrina
LOS ANGELES, CA – The Armenian National Committee of America-Western
Region (ANCA-WR) today praised the leadership of the Armenian Relief
Society of Western USA (ARS-WR) in its efforts to raise monetary
donations for the survivors of Hurricane Katrina following the
flooding and devastation in the aftermath of the natural disaster in
the Gulf Coast.
With the motto of `serving the humanitarian needs of all communities
in the world,’ the ARS has always been in the forefront of gathering
aid for victims of devastation. Last January, after the Tsunami in
South-East Asia, the ARS-WR was instrumental in the Armenian American
community of the Western United States in raising funds for the
survivors of the disaster.
`The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is too disastrous to describe, but
we know that as concerned ARS members, supporters and community, all
of us are ready to take responsibility to alleviate the suffering of
fellow citizens in the Gulf States,’ said Angela Savoian, Chair of the
ARS-WR Regional Executive.
The ARS-WR plans to send the money they raise to the schools in the
southern states that have accepted to take in the displaced
children. These schools, some of which are already under funded, need
the financial support in order to keep the schools open and operating.
The ARS-WR will also send a portion of the donations to the local
Armenian American community in Louisiana that was affected by
Hurricane Katrina. Currently, there are 23 families that are taking
refuge in the local, and recently built, Armenian Church. The homes of
21 of these 23 Armenian families are completely uninhabitable and will
need to be completely rebuilt.
With the realization that thousands of survivors are displaced,
homeless and jobless along the Gulf coast, the ARS-WR has worked and
will continue to work tirelessly in hopes of raising as much money as
possible. They strongly believe that the Armenian American community,
who has felt the impact of natural disasters, whether in Northridge or
Armenia, will unite in its efforts to support their neighbors in the
Gulf Coast region.
If you would like to donate to the ARS-WR Katrina Fund, you can visit
arswestusa.org or send donations to 517 West Glenoaks Blvd., Glendale,
CA 91202. Please make the checks payable to ARS Katrina Fund. If you
would like more information about the organization’s efforts, visit
the website or call (818) 500-1343.
The ARS is an independent, non-governmental and non-sectarian
organization with affiliate entities in 24 different countries serving
the social and educational needs of Armenian communities everywhere,
seeking to preserve the cultural identity of the Armenian nation, and
to bring humanitarian help to all communities in distress — Armenian
and non-Armenian alike.
The ANCA is the largest and most influential Armenian American
grassroots political organization. Working in coordination with a
network of offices, chapters, and supporters throughout the United
States and affiliated organizations around the world, the ANCA
actively advances the concerns of the Armenian-American community on a
broad range of issues.

Viken L.Attarian
Chairman
AGBU Montreal chapter
805 Manoogian street
Ville St-Laurent, QC H4N 1Z5
Tel: 514 748-2428
Fax: 514 748 6307

PRESS RELEASE

AGBU MONTREAL ANNOUNCES
NEW PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES

FIRST GUEST OF IDEAS @ AGBU
IS DAVID BARSAMIAN ON OCTOBER 2nd 2005.
MONTREAL, September 20, 2005 –
AGBU Montreal announced today a new series of public lectures called Ideas @
AGBU. These series of public lectures will follow a completely new format
and are open to the Montreal public at large.
The series will be delivered in the format of a one-hour interview with a
leading intellectual or expert in his/her field. This person may or may not
be of Armenian descent. All interviews will be videotaped for archival
purposes only. At the end of every program the audience will be given the
opportunity to engage the guest in a 10 minute question and answer session.
“We are very excited to start this new series”, said Viken L. Attarian,
Chairman of AGBU Montreal.” Ideas @ AGBU will be an opportunity to meet
exciting individuals and through them to have an in depth understanding of
the world we live in. The guests of this program will come from a variety of
fields such as media, the arts, politics, literature, philosophy, business,
science, medicine, law, government and public policy etc.”
“This series will intellectually challenge the attendees” added Mr.
Attarian.” AGBU is the only Armenian organization that is capable of
delivering such a unique and different program. It is also unique in the
languages of its delivery as it will be up to the guest to choose from the
languages of their choice, Armenian, English or French. The series will
also be open to the non-Armenian public so it will be an opportunity to
create a very interesting dialog among participants, guests and audiences
alike.”
The first guest of Ideas @ AGBU is Mr. David Barsamian, founder and director
of Alternative Radio, the independent award-winning weekly series based in
Boulder, Colorado. He is a radio producer, journalist, author and lecturer.
He has been working in radio since 1978. He is the author of several books,
including Propaganda and the Public Mind: Conversations with Noam Chomsky;
Eqbal Ahmad: Confronting Empire and The Decline and The Fall of Public
Broadcasting. The Institute for Alternative Journalism named him one of its
“Top Ten Media Heroes.” Barsamian lectures on U.S. foreign policy, the
media, propaganda, and corporate power in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, India
and Europe. He is the winner of the ACLU’s Upton Sinclair Award for
independent journalism and of a Democracy Media Award.
“Mr. Barsamian is familiar to the Montreal Armenian community as he has
appeared 2 years ago at the AGBU Montreal Distinguished Speakers series on
the topic of the Armenian Genocide. He will be delivering several lectures
in Montreal during that weekend and we are thrilled that he has accepted to
launch our series”, said Mr. Attarian.
Ideas @ AGBU is scheduled to debut on Sunday October 2nd, 2005 at 7:30 p.m.
at the Demirdjian Hall of the AGBU Montreal Alex Manoogian Center on 805
Manoogian Street in St. Laurent. The interview will be conducted by AGBU
Montreal chairman Mr. Viken L. Attarian. The topics covered will include
media literacy, as well as Mr. Barsamian’s latest trip to several countries
in the Middle East and his observations. Attendance is free of charge, but
seating is limited, so the audience is encouraged to be on time.
For more information about the series please contact AGBU Montreal at
514-748-2428 or via email at [email protected]
. Further information about Mr. Barsamian,
his speaking schedule and other lectures in MOntreal is available at
<;

Quince primer
Don’t know much about this fruit? It’s laden with history and has a
unique spot in local ag.
By Joan Obra / The Fresno Bee
(Updated Wednesday, September 21, 2005, 9:45 AM)
Many local folks don’t recognize the quince, a hard and often tart
fruit that looks like a funny-shaped apple.
But a handful of growers know it well. Most of the quince’s commercial
production in the United States rests on a few hundred acres in Fresno
and Tulare counties. Harvest begins around Labor Day and typically
ends in mid-November, says John Kaprielian, a Reedley farmer who tends
three varieties of this fruit: pineapple quince, Smyrna quince and
golden quince.
It’s a fruit that has fascinated local growers for more than a
century. George C. Roeding, the horticulturist and parks commissioner
who lent his name to Roeding Park, is credited with importing the
Smyrna quince from Turkey in the late 1800s.
Despite the strong Valley connection to the fruit, shoppers may have a
hard time finding fresh quince in supermarkets and farmers
markets. Whole Foods in Fig Garden Village already is selling it, and
it could appear on more market shelves as the harvest season
progresses. But much of the quince grown here heads to Los Angeles,
where ethnic groups such as Hispanics and Armenians buy the fruit. Or
it’s sent to the Middle East, where it’s widely eaten.
Quince still is popular among “all the cultures that still place a
high value on food,” says Brian Keavy, who markets quince for
Ballantine Produce in Reedley. “Our culture races toward
convenience. One of our greatest challenges is to get people to slow
down.”
Quince was the original fruit used in marmalades. “The Portuguese word
for quince is marmelo, and the quince jam in Portugal was called
marmalada,” states the 1987-88 catalog of the Southmeadow Fruit
Gardens, a specialty fruit-tree nursery in Baroda, Mich.
In Armenia, cooks turn the quince into preserves, jellies and
juice. In Iran, quince often is paired with meats such as lamb. And in
Spain and Latin America, a quince paste called dulce de membrillo
often is eaten with various cheeses, including the Spanish manchego
and tetilla, or the Mexican cotija.
In the Valley, quince paste is easier than the fresh fruit to find in
stores. The El Mexicano brand is sold at some stores that cater to
Hispanics. At La Paella, a Spanish restaurant at Champlain Drive and
Perrin Avenue, diners can order a dessert of Spanish dulce de
membrillo with tetilla cheese and a glass of port or sherry.
“People had the [quince] trees at home,” says Frank Vidal, the owner
of La Paella and a native of the Spainish province of Galicia. “We
used to make the membrillo at home.”
Making the paste was a lengthy process, he adds.
Quince is widely perceived as a difficult fruit. Its tart, chewy
texture means it’s rarely eaten raw. And cooking it requires
preparation. The skin has a light fuzz that must be removed. Its core
is particularly hard to cut. Cooking turns its pale flesh into a
beautiful red, ruby color ‘ but it typically takes a couple of hours
of cooking for this transformation.

Still, cooking with quince isn’t rocket science.
“Everyone says quince is hard to work with,” says Barbara Ghazarian, a
Monterey author whose cookbook, “Simply Armenian: Naturally Healthy
Ethnic Cooking Made Easy,” contains a chapter about quince. “But if
you’re a home cook who’s willing to cook with apples, then you’re a
home cook who’s willing to work with quince.”
Commercial quince already is defuzzed, she points out. And if you
happen to get the fruit from a backyard tree, rubbing it with a dish
towel should take care of the pesky fuzz.
Most of the time, you can use a knife to cut through the quince. If it
proves too hard, a food processor easily will slice it.
Like apples, the quince browns quickly, so plunge the slices into a
bowl of water with a little lemon juice.
If you’re looking for a quick dish, simply cook the fruit in cobblers
or as you would an apple pie. The quince may not turn that deep red
color, but it’ll still taste good.
If, however, you’re looking for the ruby hue, let the fruit simmer for
a couple of hours to make preserves, Ghazarian says.
The color and cooking time depend on the variety. The Smyrna won’t
start to jell until it turns a deep red, she says. But the golden
quince will start to set up once the flesh has turned a golden color.
You can identify the Smyrna by its irregular shape. The smoother
golden quince, by contrast, “is just a really buff fruit. Huge and
buff,” Ghazarian says. “If the fruit was a guy, it would be Matt
Damon, and I would marry it.”
For recipes such as stuffed quinces, the Smyrna would be a good
choice.
“The Smyrna really holds its shape,” Kaprielian says. “It won’t get
mushy or fall apart.”
Kaprielian also offers a tip for ripening the quince: Simply let it
sit at room temperature until it turns yellow and gives off an
aromatic scent, a process that can take several weeks.
“A lot of times, a quince will get better after harvest,” Kaprielian
says. “It keeps ripening.”
Once it is ripe, store it in a plastic container with a damp paper
towel. Cover the container, but leave the lid slightly ajar. Kept
this way, it will stay fresh for a couple of months in the
refrigerator.
Kaprielian and Ghazarian, who are both Armenian, have ancestral ties
to the quince. This ancient fruit was born in the Caucasus ‘ the
mountainous region between the Black and Caspian seas that now
includes Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.
The quince has biblical, mythical and historical significance. It is
said to be the apple that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. The
Babylonians cultivated it. The Persians took it south, and the Greeks
took it to the east.
It is the fruit that started the Trojan War, the conflict launched by
a rivalry between three goddesses. Each hoped to win a quince destined
for the fairest one. Their judge: Paris, the prince of Troy.
Aphrodite, the goddess of love, made Paris an irresistible offer. If
he awarded her the quince, she would have the most beautiful woman in
the world fall in love with him. Aphrodite won the fruit, and Paris
won the heart of Helen, who already was married to the king of Sparta.
Helen left her husband for Paris, and her husband waged the Trojan War
to bring her back.
Other peoples, such as the Romans, traveled with the quince,
introducing it to areas such as the British Isles.
And when early European settlers came to America, they carried the
quince, Ghazarian says. The first quince tree she tended likely was
planted by settlers in Whitinsville, Mass.
“My family history with the fruit goes back to when my aunt and her
family purchased a home with a fruit-bearing quince tree in the yard,”
Ghazarian writes in “Simply Armenian.” “But it was my grandmother who
cared for the trees. She watched the fruit for signs of ripening
during the final days of September and labored in the kitchen for days
afterwards, making her royal red quince preserves and jelly.”
Ghazarian has noticed rising interest in the fruit, which has prompted
her to collect more recipes and historical information for a cookbook
devoted to quince.
“Quince is the up-and- coming thing,” she says. The reporter can be
reached at [email protected] or (559) 441-6365.