The elusive quince; I have spent the last month searching for this unique and absolutely delicious fruit. Be prepared to get blank stares if you ask for quince at your local grocery store. I've found that most of the grocery clerks have never heard of it. When the clerks ask what quince is, I generally reply: "It's what you would get if a pear and an apple had a baby." But there is a less "smart-ass" answer: Quince is a hard, pear-shaped fruit, that turns golden-yellow in color when mature. The deciduous quince tree is native to western Asia.