Fruits · Orchard fruit

Pear

Sweet, juicy orchard fruit with a narrow neck; eaten ripe and soft, or poached and baked while firm.

Also called: pears, armut, nashpati

Photo: Keith Weller, via Wikimedia Commons (public-domain)

What it is

Pears are tree fruits, usually wider at the base and narrowing to the stem, with thin green, yellow, red or russet skin. Most European pears ripen off the tree and soften from the neck; Asian (nashi) pears are round, crisp and eaten firm. They are softer, grainier and more perfumed than apples.

Pyrus communis

How it’s used

Poached in wine or syrup
Baked into tarts, frangipane and crumbles
Sliced with blue cheese, walnuts and salads
Grated into Korean marinades to tenderise meat

Characteristics

Taste: Sweet, floral and mildly acidic.
Texture: Juicy and buttery when ripe, sometimes slightly gritty.
When cooked: Use slightly underripe pears for poaching and baking so they hold their shape.
Sold as: fresh, canned, dried
Cooking uses: Usually eaten raw, Suitable for baking, Commonly cooked
Common in: French, Italian, British, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, German