It's Le Lectier pear season in Niigata!

I love pears. One of my favorite fruits, and always have been. In my home country of Australia, the dominant type is the Packham pear, and here in Japan it's probably nashi. However, there's another type of pear that grows well here (specifically in Niigata) and that's the Le Lectier pear.

As you can probably tell, the name isn't Japanese at all. It's a European pear variant that was introduced to Japan over 120 years ago. What makes these different from other pears is that they don't ripen 100% on the tree. After they're picked, they continue to ripen for 40 days or thereabouts, and they're super sweet and fragrant.

They're only available for a fairly short period in November and December, so if you're in the area I recommend checking at your local JA Farmer's Market or even local supermarkets to see if they're available near you. Happy eating!