December 4, 2025

Simple Pleasures: The Forgotten Sweetness of the Nespoli

A friend received a small parcel the other day—inside, a handful of nespoli, the loquats that once ripened in many southern Italian gardens. Their soft, golden flesh carried a sweetness I had not tasted in years. To enjoy them again was to feel, for a moment, a piece of my childhood return. For a moment, the distance closed, and the taste of home—forgotten, familiar—restored itself.