| Asian Pears | |
by Judy Sobeloff, from the January 2007 newsletter
There are two basic body shapes: “apples” and “pears” — each exhibiting a different distribution of body fat. Apple-shaped individuals carry most of their excess body fat around their middle (abdomen), while pear-shaped people carry most of their excess body fat on their hips, buttocks and thighs (www.annecollins.com).
Pears originated in China about 3,000 years ago. In their subsequent spreading to the rest of the world, two distinct genetic varieties emerged: to the west, the prototypical, well, pear-shaped, European pear; and to the east, the apple-shaped Asian pear. I wasn’t there, but I’ve looked into funhouse mirrors and recovered from amusement park rides — heck, I’ve given birth — and I can imagine how the physical transformation from apple- to pear-shaped might have felt.
Despite being occasionally referred to as “apple pears,” Asian pears are not a cross between apples and pears, though all of these fruits are “pomes”—fleshy fruit with several seed chambers and an outer fleshy part—as are the quince, crabapple, and loquat. Pomes are also known as “false fruit” or “accessory fruit,” an angle I thought might be interesting to pursue until I clicked on a Web site for “love pomes” and received a warning that this site could destroy my computer.
In addition to “apple pear,” the Asian pear is also known as sand pear, water pear, salad pear, Chinese pear, Japanese pear, and Nashi (Japanese for pear). Originally reserved for the wealthy or for Chinese nobility, Asian pears were brought to the United States by Chinese immigrants in the 1800s, specifically by Chinese gold miners and migrant workers during the California gold rush. California and Oregon and, to a lesser extent, Washington, remain the primary Asian pear-producing states of our country.
Those of us who’ve developed relationships with European pears, playing that waiting game of watching for days and weeks until that brief window when they might be ripe, knowing that if we dare bite in too soon, if we guess wrong, we’ll have to start all over again ... will likely be relieved by the Asian pear’s straightforward nature. Unlike European pears, which ripen off the tree, Asian pears are picked ripe. They are — paradoxically — ripe when hard, which means that once in hand they should be ready to go.
The Co-op carries two varieties, the more typical apple-sized yellow one and a larger brown one. I must confess that my encounters with the large variety were unrewarding, as I was somehow unable to find a ripe one, but I’ve enjoyed great success with the yellow ones. Though Fred found them “delicate and bland,” our two-and-a-half-year-old exclaimed, “I like the sugar!” and our five-year-old praised them as tasting “like a jingle bell, like a fresh summer morning.”
We all enjoyed Asian Pear Pecan Cookies, described by my friend Caitlin as having a “fall quality, like pumpkin pie.” Donna commented on how they were “granular, like the sugary-sand quality of a pear,” while an unnamed Co-op dessert baker found them “crumbly but flavorful, nice and moist.”
Following this success, I was tempted to make a salad using Asian pears with tamari pecans and bleu cheese, though put off by the intricacy and time-consuming nature of the various steps. I turned to Fred, who said, “You can’t really take seriously a recipe that wants you to chill the dishes. Call one of those places that make salads and have them deliver it through the window.” Below is the recipe for the simplified version which appeared, which turned out to be so incredibly, wonderfully good.
Asian Pear Pecan Cookies (adapted from www.virginiagoldorchard.com)
2-3 Asian pears, peeled and sliced
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. canola oil
1 c. all purpose flour
1 c. finely ground pecans
1 c. rolled oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
Place the Asian pears in a blender and puree to make 1 1/4 cup of pear puree. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and grease two large cookie sheets. Place pecans in blender and chop until they are flour texture. Mix dry ingredients with pecans. Add oil and Asian pear puree and mix. Place spoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared cookie sheets, 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the edges turn dark brown. Let cool for 10 minutes.
Apple-Asian Pear Salad
(inspired by a recipe by Michel Nischan; adapted from
www.northstarorchard.com)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. apple cider
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
2/3 c. pecan halves
1 Tbsp. tamari
1 bunch mixed fresh greens
2 red apples, sliced thinly
2 Asian pears, sliced thinly
6 oz. crumbled bleu cheese
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine oil, cider, cider vinegar and honey in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid; shake well to combine. Toss pecans with tamari until coated. Toast pecans on a baking sheet for 7 minutes or until crisp and fragrant; set aside. Arrange greens on plate. Arrange apple and Asian pear slices on top of greens. Sprinkle with bleu cheese and pecans. Shake dressing once more and drizzle over salad.
|
Copyright: Copyright on articles, recipes and
images are jointly held by the Moscow Food Co-op and the respective contributors,
except were otherwise noted.
|
For additions or corrections to this page, please contact the Webmaster.
