 Traditionally and predominantly from the Iberian Peninsula, it is called "dulce de membrillo" in Spanish, "marmelada" in Portuguese, "marmelo" in Galician and "codonyat" in Catalan, where it is a firm, sticky, sweet reddish hard paste made of the quince ("Cydonia oblonga") fruit.It is also very popular in Brazil (as "marmelada"), France (as "pâte de coing"), Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay and Uruguay (as "dulce de membrillo"), Italy (as "cotognata") and Peru (as "machacado de membrillo")

The recipe is probably of ancient origin; the Roman cookbook of Apicius, a collection of Roman cookery recipes compiled in the late 4th or early 5th century AD gives recipes for stewing quince with honey.Historically, marmalade was made from quinces.