The market · Fruit · France and the north-west, Northern and Central Europe

Greengages

A small green plum, often blushed gold, that many reckon the best-tasting of all — very sweet and honeyed, with a fresh green edge.

honeyed · green · floral

What to do with it

Ibu Sari's Beef rendangGreengage would cut through its richnessAna Etxarri's Pil pilGreengage would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's SuyaGreengage would cut through its richnessTolu Adeyemi's Rendang, the Lagos wayGreengage would cut through its richness

Goes with

almondcreamvanillacustard

Knowing it

Where to buy
Farm shops, markets and pick-your-own; rarely in supermarkets. Ripe ones are yellow-green and soft at the stalk, sometimes split. Eat within a day or two.
A little history
Reine-claude in France, after Claude, queen to François I; the English name is said to come from the Gage family, who brought trees over from France in the 18th century.
Worth knowing
Eat the best ones raw. To cook, poach them whole in a light syrup — they collapse quickly — or bake them into a frangipane tart.

More fruit, in season with it

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