SORABYCO | Life in Japan

When I was growing up in Korea, pears often appeared on the table after barbecue. My mother would say, “Eat some pear. It’s good after a heavy meal.” I never thought much about why. I was simply happy to eat something cold, sweet, and full of juice after grilled meat. Years later, after moving to Japan, that memory came back to me in an unexpected way. I now live in Chiba Prefecture, just east of Tokyo, one of Japan’s best-known pear-growing areas. Every summer, small roadside farm stands begin to appear along local roads. Some are open only during the harvest season, with handwritten signs and baskets of freshly picked pears arranged on simple tables. The first time I stopped at one of these farm stands, I wasn’t even sure which variety to buy. I had assumed Japanese pears were all more or less the same. They are not. Kosui, Hosui, Akizuki, and Niitaka all have different levels of sweetness, acidity, juiciness, and texture. So, which Japanese pear is the sweetest, and how can you choo...