La France Pears
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
La France pears vary in size and shape, depending on growing conditions, but are generally sold in commercial markets when they have reached 200 to 250 grams in weight. The variety has a lumpy, pyriform, squat shape with a thick, short, narrow neck and a broad, bulbous base. La France pears are known for their russet-covered skin, which gives the surface a textured, sometimes sandy feel. The skin ripens from green to shades of yellow-green and is semi-thick and taut, also enveloped in prominent lenticels and russet dots. It is worth noting that La France pears do not exhibit extreme color change with ripening. The color slightly transforms from green to golden yellow on the fruit’s base, but it should not be a determining factor for maturity. Underneath the skin, the ivory to cream-colored flesh is dense, aqueous, and smooth with a succulent, melting consistency when ripe. The flesh also encases a small central core filled with tiny black-brown seeds. La France pears are ripe when wrinkles have formed on the neck surrounding the woody brown stem. The fruits will also develop a mild, sweet aroma with maturity. Ripe La France pears have a mellow sweetness combined with refreshing acidity and bear subtle fruity, floral nuances.
Seasons/Availability
La France pears are available in late fall through mid-winter, typically between October and December in Japan. After harvest, the variety needs a period of ripening before it can be consumed.
Current Facts
La France pears, botanically classified as Pyrus communis, are a variety of European or Western pear belonging to the Rosaceae family. The cultivar was developed in France and sent to Japan in the early 20th century, where it eventually became a popular commercial cultivar. La France pears are one of twenty Western pears grown in Japan, and consumers favor the pears for their soft, melting flesh and refreshing, sweet, and acidic taste. Japan is also one of the only countries worldwide that cultivates the variety in the present day. La France pears are notoriously challenging to produce due to their prolonged season. It takes over five months from flowering to fruit harvest, and the cultivar must be grown in specific conditions to bear fruit. Despite these labor-intensive challenges, La France pears have become well-known in Japanese markets as a seasonal delicacy. There are two main types of La France pears grown in Japan. The main type is the original variety introduced from France. The second and more rare type, Gold La France, is smaller than the standard La France and is only produced in small quantities. One of the unique methods involved in marketing and selling La France pears throughout Japan is using a “sales start date.” This date changes each year and is set by experts who calculate when the pear harvests will be in peak condition for fresh market sales. This sales start date allows consumers to anticipate the arrival of the variety, and the fruits are shipped after they have been harvested and appropriately ripened for a period of time to bring the pears to maturity.
Nutritional Value
La France pears are a source of fiber to regulate and cleanse the digestive tract and potassium to balance fluid levels within the body. Pears also provide vitamins C, B6, E, and K to strengthen the immune system, guard the cells against the damage caused by free radicals, and aid in faster wound healing. Other nutrients include copper, magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and manganese. Copper helps the body produce red blood cells, while magnesium controls nerve functions. Iron develops the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, calcium and phosphorus protect bones and teeth, and manganese supports overall brain health.
Applications
La France pears have a refreshing, sweet, and subtly acidic taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. Chilling the fruits in the fridge for 2 to 3 hours before serving is recommended to enhance their flavor. Once cooled, the pears are peeled and sliced into pieces for eating out of hand. La France pears are also chopped and tossed into green salads, fruit medleys, or served on cheese boards. Their melting flesh creates a smooth topping for parfaits and puddings, or they can be thinly sliced and incorporated into fruit rolls with cream cheese and lemon juice. While less common, La France pears are sometimes frozen and consumed as a natural sorbet. La France pears are also popularly used in desserts in Japan. The variety is added to chocolate or almond cakes, cooked into fillings for tarts, layered in cinnamon sugar gratins, or used in crumbles. La France pears are also baked in the oven, drizzled with syrups, or served with vanilla ice cream. Try simmering La France pears into jams, compotes, or jellies. La France pears complement ingredients like vanilla, maple syrup, lemon juice, spices such as cinnamon, ginger, star anise, and cloves, and nuts including almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts. Whole, unopened La France pears should be ripened at room temperature in a cool, dry, dark location. Once ripe, they are stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer. It is recommended to immediately consume ripe pears for the best quality and flavor. La France pears can also be peeled, sliced, and frozen in storage bags for extended use.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
La France pears are also called Claude Blanchet pears, a moniker given to the fruit in France after the variety’s founder, nurseryman Claude Blanchet. The origins of the name La France are unknown, but several theories note that the variety was either renamed in Japan in honor of its home country or named by Claude Blanchet. It is thought Blanchet was proud of the cultivar’s ideal flavor, texture, and visual appearance and felt it represented France. After its introduction to orchards in Japan, La France pears initially struggled in cultivation as consumers and growers were not fond of the variety’s uneven skin coloring and russet patches. The cultivar was called “midagunsau,” which meant “ugly pear,” and growers mainly used the variety as a pollinator for other western pear types. Despite this unfavorable nickname, La France pears thrived in the cooler climate of the Yamagata Prefecture in Japan, while other countries, like France, stopped growing the cultivar due to unfavorable conditions for the variety. This has made La France pears unique to Japan, and the variety is favored as an exclusive specialty fruit.
Geography/History
La France pears are native to France and were released by horticulturist Claude Blanchet in the town of Vienne in 1864. The exact history and parentage of the variety are unknown, but the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce introduced La France pears to Japan in 1903. Around the same time as their Japanese introduction, La France pears were deemed too labor-intensive and unsuitable for the climate in France and were discontinued as a commercial variety. La France pears found an ideal home in the inland regions of the Yamagata Prefecture in Japan. This area is known for its temperature differences between day and night, light snowfall in the winter to water the trees, low risk of typhoon damage, and fertile soils. La France pears were initially planted as a variety to pollinate Bartlett pears in the early 20th century, as Bartletts were popular for canning. La France pears were largely ignored as a fresh-eating cultivar for many years due to their irregular appearance and ripening requirements. It wasn’t until 1985 that the demand for La France pears increased in commercial value. Japanese growers later mastered the art of effective ripening for Western pears, and it was discovered that La France pears had excellent texture, aroma, and flavor once ripe. Today, La France pears are primarily grown in the Yamagata Prefecture in Japan and are cultivated in smaller amounts in the Aomori, Nagano, and Niigata Prefectures. When in season, the variety is sold directly through growers, local markets, specialty retailers, and high-end department stores.
