This room was decorated with the colours of the Loquat fruit tree, known in Maltese as siġra tan- naspla, it is the first fruit of the season in the Maltese Islands. The tree has originated in China and it has been growing in Japan for over a millennium. It is found naturalised in the Mediterranean region.
The small evergreen tree bears sweet and slightly acidic fruit.
The oval fruit is a thin yellow-orange rind enclosing a whitish pulp. In fact, the loquat has a high sugar, acid and natural pectin content.
The tree thrives in deep well drained soils, and it can live up to 80 years. Whilst the leaves and fruit are astringent, they are also anti-inflammatory and have been traditionally used to treat throat infections.
"Nasplis” are low-calorie fruits that provide numerous vitamins and minerals, such as provitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B9, Magnesium ,Potassium and Manganese which are making them very nutritious.