Amadotte

Amadotte

Origin/History

Of ancient origin. Hedrick notes that more than one variety appears to have borne the name; the one he describes is that discussed by Le Lectier, 1620. The name has been associated with several synonyms including Madotte, Autumn Superb, De Graine Damadote, Dame Houdotte, Beurre Blanc des Capucins, and possibly Beurre Knox (Downing).

Tree

Not described in source.

Fruit

Size and Form: Downing describes the fruit as "rather large" and pyriform; Thomas similarly calls it "large" and pyriform; Hedrick describes it as "medium and sometimes larger," pyriform-ovate, and variable in form.

Stem: Medium length (Downing).

Cavity: Small (Downing).

Calyx: Open (Downing).

Basin: Shallow and uneven (Downing).

Skin: Downing describes the skin as pale yellow. Hedrick gives a markedly different account: orange-yellow, marbled and dotted with fawn, especially around the calyx and stalk, and generally washed with carmine on the side exposed to the sun. (The discrepancy between sources may reflect the possibility, noted by Hedrick, that more than one variety has borne this name.)

Flesh and Flavor: Sources conflict substantially. Downing describes the flesh as whitish, coarse, juicy, vinous, variable, and sometimes astringent, rating it "hardly good." Thomas concurs: coarse, juicy, often astringent, and worthless. Hedrick, by contrast, describes the flesh as slightly yellow, fine, buttery, and gritty around the core, with juice abundant, sweet, and carrying a slight flavor of musk — rating it third quality for eating as dessert and second quality for cooking.

Season

Ripe October (Downing, Thomas). Hedrick gives a longer keeping range of October to January.

Uses

Third quality for eating as dessert; second quality for cooking (Hedrick).

Subtypes/Variants

Hedrick explicitly states that more than one variety appears to have borne the name Amadotte, which likely accounts for the divergence between sources in skin color and flesh character.

Other

Not described in source.