Time for Pears

Date: 07/22/2018

Time of the pears

Because all things have a time and place in this universe, now begins the time of the pears. They are juicy, aromatic and sweet.

Sometimes it seems to me that the pear suffers from poor public relations, which keeps it out of the hall of glory of organic fruit:

The apple, we think of it at least once a year when we enjoy large quantities, soaked in honey:
Mango and passionfruit, a big hit in ice creams and deserts (mango also blends well in chutney, for those who are fond of Indian food):
Grapes, melons and watermelons, very popular as refreshing and sweet summer fruits.

So, where is the pear? In our culture, it is in the dessert, cooked in wine and dipped in chocolate at special festive meals, as if it had no right to exist in its own.

The pear belongs to the family of deciduous trees, those trees that stand naked and lonely in the winter and then delight us in spring with fresh little buds, and plenty of aromatic, beautiful, white, flowering flowers, a sakura of pears (the bees are also happy to have them). It comes from Persia, and sometimes I can imagine some ancient Persian king walking around in his lush gardens enjoying the sweet fruit, and the sight of his beautiful wives and children running around the garden. Already in Homer's time they understood its value, and Homer himself called pears "the gift of the gods" (not to the apple, not to the avocado, and not to all of the superfoods we know and cherish today was this title granted, but to the pear). In Louis XIV’s court it was considered a delicacy like caviar or truffles are today. It came to the Mediterranean with the Romans and has been here ever since.

Why am I so impressed by the organic pear? First of all, it is considered an "easy" fruit, and like the apple and sweet potato, it is easily digestible and suitable to start the "tasting" stage for babies. They contain plenty of minerals (potassium, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium, and little sodium); they also have lovely vitamins — vitamin A, vitamin C, B vitamins and dietary fiber, which enhance the immune system, strengthen vision and also improve the health of hair, digestive system, and nervous system; they are believed to enhance the look of facial skin (for a fraction of the price of prestigious creams); they regulate bowel movements, are anti-allergenic, and according to Chinese medicine, also cool and stimulate the lung area. During this season, when quite a few suffer from “air conditioner colds" accompanied by mucus and cough, pear is considered a fruit that encourages the secretion of phlegm and does good for the entire respiratory system.

As we continually point out, “ may your foods be your medicines.” The pear is a wonderful example of this in practice.

Compared to the apple, its more popular cousin, the organic pear is not here all year, and its shelf life is not so long, so enjoy it now, in its time!