To All,
This week the horn of plenty otherwise known as Market Basket presented me with an Asian Pear. (The sticker on this fruit calls it an apple pear.) The most notable thing about this fruit is that it comes wrapped in a little mesh sock. This fruit is better dressed than I am. The reason for its wrapper is apparently that it is easily bruised, so it needs a shock absorber. Don't let the wind blow this fruit off your window sill. It is shaped very much like a large apple, but with a few little bulges and a slightly pebbled outer texture. The tip-off that it is not an apple is that it a golden brown. See attached pictures.
This fruit seems to be in every way a cross between an apple and a pear, so you can eat it as you would an apple or pear. (Full disclosure: I prefer pears over apples.) The inner texture is more pear-like and not crunchy like an apple. While quite juicy, unlike with a pear, the juice is not released to run down your chin and make a mess in your beard. The flavor is pleasing.
As for storage and handling, this is a very forgiving fruit. It lasts for a week in the open and for several weeks in the fridge. It ripens as it sits, so you can buy one that isn't quite ripe.
The verdict: A very nice alternative to apples and standard pears, but watch the price. Mine cost $1.50. Also, remember that this fragile fruit needs to be cosseted.
Here's how I recommend that you serve the Asian pear. Next time you have a party, after everyone has had a couple of drinks, hand out Asian pears. Each guest can remove the protective sock, and put it on his or her hand to make a sock puppet. Then you can have an impromptu group puppet show. Perhaps act out one of the classic Seinfeld episodes. People will be talking about your party for years.
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