There are many varieties of cultivated pears in Shanghai, including the emerald green crown, the juicy early new water, the jade, which is famous for its jade-like color, the golden round yellow and the crisp and refreshing Sucui No. 1.
Pears have won the favor of countless diners with their rich varieties and unique taste. When you bite into it, the flesh is juicy and sweet as a spring, gliding over the tip of the tongue, leaving an unforgettable taste. Whether it is to quench thirst and relieve heat, or to moisten the lungs and relieve cough, pears are a good choice in the hot summer.
While tasting the crisp sweetness of pears, people are also savoring the nourishment and gift from nature.
The fragrance of pears wafts all over the city
Pears have been one of the important fruits of the mainland since ancient times, and are widely distributed in North China, Northeast China, Northwest China and the provinces of the Yangtze River Basin.
In Shanghai, the pear tree, as one of the four main fruit trees, carries the hard work and hope of fruit farmers in the suburbs of Shanghai. In recent years, the cultivation area of pear trees in Shanghai is close to 30,000 acres, and the cultivated varieties are mainly sand pear systems.
According to the "2024 Whole Industry Chain Market Information Monitoring and Early Warning Analysis Report of Shanghai Pear Industry", the pear varieties planted in Shanghai in 2023 mainly include Cuiguan, Cuiyu, Qingxiang, Sucui No. 1, and Zaosheng Xinshui, among which Cuiguan occupies an absolute dominant position, accounting for 80% of the total planting area.
Cuiguan pear, also known as "June snow", belongs to the early-maturing excellent pear variety. From the perspective of strains, Cuiguan pear has pure Chinese blood, never inferior to Japan sand pear, with wide adaptability, strong stress resistance, excellent quality, early maturity, good yield performance and other characteristics, is a new variety of pear trees promoted in Jiangsu and Zhejiang in recent years.
With its unique charm, Cuiguan pear has conquered the hearts of countless diners and has become a star variety in the market. The fruit is nearly round, with an average weight of 300 to 500 grams, and the largest fruit can exceed 800 grams. The skin is smooth and thin, with a dark green undertone and an attractive sheen in the sun. The flesh is fine and white, sweet and juicy, the flesh is delicate, crisp and sweet, and when you bite into it, it is juicy and sweet, as if the heat of the whole summer has been dissolved by this sweet juice.
In addition to the Cuiguan pear, which has the largest planting area, there are also a small number of pear varieties such as early Xinshui, Cuiyu, Yuanhuang and Sucui No. 1 in Shanghai. The famous "Cangqiao Crystal Pear" and "Zhuanghang Honey Pear" are national geographical indication products and are well recognized by the public, and they are known for their bright flesh and sweet taste. In fact, these two brands contain a number of sand pear varieties, such as emerald crown, emerald jade, round yellow, etc., each with its own unique charm. The jade pear is a cross between Xizi green and emerald crown, with light green skin, white flesh, crisp, sweet and juicy taste. The round pineapple has a flat shape, pure white flesh, delicate and juicy flesh, and a peculiar aroma, making it a leader among late-maturing varieties. The early-growing new pear is a variety cultivated by the Institute of Forestry and Fruit Trees of the Shanghai Academy of Agricultural Sciences, and is a fresh-eating early-maturing pear variety. Its tree shape is narrow and conical, the posture is upright, the color of the trunk changes from light gray-brown to gray-brown, the leaves are large and leathery, thick and flat, the adult leaves are dark green and shiny, and the general fruit harvest period is from mid-July to late July.
The green leaves are crystall, and the branches are crisp and peary. In the middle of summer, it is the ripe and marketable period of real estate pears, and the crisp and juicy pear taste provides a new choice for the public to relieve the heat in summer. During the pear ripening season, direct sales from orchards have become the main way of sales, and tourists come to pick and taste them and enjoy the gifts from nature. At the same time, online sales are also gradually emerging, and e-commerce platforms, WeChat marketing and other methods allow more people to taste the high-quality pear fruits of Shanghai real estate.
One side of the water and soil raises one side of the fruit
The high quality of Shanghai real estate pears benefits from the unique growth environment.
As a traditional pear tree planting area, Songjiang's pear tree planting scale ranks among the top agricultural areas in Shanghai. Taking "Cangqiao Crystal Pear" as an example, its planting base is close to the bank of the Huangpu River, with clean and excellent water quality and "green purple mud" soil rich in organic matter, which provides good conditions for the growth of pear trees, and this superior natural environment makes the pear fruit more outstanding in taste and quality.
Chongming, which is promoting the construction of a world-class ecological island, has the natural ecological advantages of being surrounded by rivers on three sides, facing the sea on one side, surrounded by water and dense river ditches, and the good ecological environment is especially suitable for the cultivation of Cuiguan pear. The soil formed by the alluvial sediment of the Yangtze River is fertile and loose, and a variety of calcium carbonate and organic matter are precipitated in the sand, which is conducive to the growth of the root system and the absorption of nutrients in the Cuiguan pear. In addition, the annual sunshine in Chongming can reach more than 2,000 hours, and the relative humidity of the air is maintained at 80% all year round, which is conducive to the accumulation of sugar in the Cuiguan pear and makes the fruit sweeter.
In addition to the advantages of the growing environment, the development of smart agriculture has also provided a great boost for fruit farmers to improve their production and labor methods, and a standardized management system and traceability system have gradually been formed in the planting process of local pears. From flower bud germination to flowering and fruit setting, each pear tree is carefully managed, and the flower thinning and fruit thinning operations during the planting process ensure that each pear tree bears the right amount of fruit and fully absorbs nutrients. This standardized planting method makes pears more stable and reliable in terms of quality and yield.
Fengxian's famous "Zhuangxing honey pear" has a history of 600 years of planting, and has formed nearly 5,000 acres of high-quality pear orchards, the harvest of pear fruit not only benefits from the unique natural growth environment, but also inseparable from the hard work and scientific planting of fruit farmers. It is understood that this year's sunshine and abundant rain have provided good conditions for the growth of pears. At the same time, modern orchards also adopt the planting method of applying biofertilizer, organic fertilizer and foliar fertilizer, combined with bagging technology and daily fruit thinning management, to ensure that each pear has sufficient light and nutrient supply. Under such careful care, the appearance and coloring of each honey pear are good, the skin is thin and the meat is crispy, and the taste is sweet and juicy, which has become a good product for citizens to quench their thirst.
Discover the flavor of pears
There are many ways to eat pears, but if you want to say that the most suitable for summer, you should put the pears in the refrigerator first, and the chilled pears only need to taste one bite to dispel a lot of boredom caused by the heat.
In addition to being eaten as is, pears can be processed into delicious dishes in a variety of creative ways, adding a lot of fun and health benefits to everyday eating. Such as rock sugar pear, pear juice, autumn pear paste, canned pear, etc., each has its own unique taste and efficacy.
Among them, rock sugar pears are deeply loved by people, selected pears, peeled and pitted into pieces, put into a pot with crystal clear rock sugar, add an appropriate amount of water, simmer over low heat until the pear flesh is soft and glutinous, and the soup is thick. In this process, the sweetness of the rock sugar gradually penetrates into the pear flesh, and the fragrance of the pear is also integrated into the soup, and the two merge with each other to form a sweet and delicious dessert.
And for dessert lovers, pear shortbread is also a must-try. Dice the pears, marinate them with sugar and lemon juice, wrap them in a crispy dough and bake them until golden brown. When you bite into it, the crispiness of the puff pastry and the soft glutinousness of the pear flesh are perfectly integrated, with moderate sweetness and sourness, and an endless aftertaste.
In addition to pear shortbread, pears can also present a variety of delicious flavors. For example, sliced pears can be paired with fresh fruit for salads, or soaked with red wine to make pears with a unique flavor. Or stew pears with meat to add freshness and nutritional value to the dish. However, no matter what you do, you can't hide the unique charm and freshness of the pear itself.
Pears, one of the most common fruits, are able to blossom with amazing diversity under the magic of cooking. From the warm rock sugar pear in the early morning, wake up the sleeping taste buds; In the afternoon, the fruit salad is a symphony of fruits; and then to the nourishing stew at night to warm the soul and nourish the body; There is also the crispy and delicious pear shortbread, which perfectly seals the sweetness and surprise. Each method is an exploration of the unique flavor of pears, showing the infinite possibilities from fresh to rich, from simple to complex, and people can't help but marvel at the variety of pears as an ingredient.
Text: Wang Shan, Yang Xiaohui, Ou Yang
Photo by Du Yangyu and Zhang Ziyi