Roman Quince & Beef Stew Recipe | Origin of Quince

I've never had quince until recently when I bought quinces from a local farmers' market. Raw quince is tough to bite in and the fruit tastes astringent. Once cooked it is tender and the fruit's perfumed aromas come to the forefront. Quince originates from the Caucasus region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. In today's video, I bring you a brief history of quince and demonstrate a quince stew recipe from Apicius the sole remaining cookery book from the days of the Roman Empire.