C for Chinese Pears

ABC Wednesday
July 30th, 2014
The letter is C and it stands here for Chinese (Asian) Pears.

The Chinese Asian Pear is called the Shinto Pear, and it is delicious!

Asian pears are super crunchy, more like crisp apples than other pears, 

and they look more like apples, too.

There are many varieties of Asian pears -  the ones post commonly available in North America

are a very matte, tan color with a bit more texture and roughness to the skin than other apples or pears.

They are great for eating raw, especially when sliced or diced and added to salads.  

They have more of a crisp-apple texture than the soft grainy pear.

They are heavy for their size and have no give when you squeeze them -

they are supposed to be crisp!

I am lucky in that at least once a year I get to have one or two

Chinese pears grown by a generous friend of #3 son

and I enjoy them raw, sliced with cheese and a crisp biscuit.

However, if you should happen to have a glut of them and are looking

for a recipe ...........!

This is a sweet and savoury dish, popular in south-west China.

Lay about 1 1/2 pounds of ham, cut into thin slices, in a steamproof dish.  

Sprinkle with a quarter cup of brown sugar and steam for 25 minutes,

adding more water as needed.

When the ham is nearly finished cooking combine a quarter cup of light soy sauce

with two tablespoons of water and two tablespoons of honey

in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, - keep warm.

Add two Chinese pears, cut into four pieces. 

Brush the pears and ham slices with some of the sauce and steam for five more minutes.

Pour the remainder of the sauce over and garnish with two green onions,

cut into thirds, - or however your heart desires

if you want to be creative.....

I was amazed at how many different varieties of Asian Pears there are.

The best known is probably the Nijisseiki which ripens in mid September

and is also known as 20th Century.

But in the order of ripening there is the Ichiban Nashi, the Kosui, Shinseiki, Mishirasu, 

Chojuro, Shinseiho, the Kikusui, Shinko (as pictured below) the very large Nitaka,

a round shaped Chinese pear called Seuri and the Korean Giant,

very large, attractive orange-brown russet, sweet and juicy

with a long storage life.

All this wonderful information about Asian pears that produce well west of the Cascades

 came from ' wm@hartmannursery.com '  (email address, of course)

For more things you never knew before that start with C visit

here at ABC Wednesday, with thanks to Denise, Roger

and all helpers, - and don't forget to visit around!