Last day

Last October I read a report about a kind of Asian pear that I'd never heard of--and then this last weekend I found it in the 99 Ranch Market in nearby Milpitas. It's different, delicious, and worth trying.All European pears are varieties of the species Pyrus communis. Asian pears are varieties of one or two different species that have variously been called Pyrus pyrifolia, Pyrus ussuriensis, and now usually Pyrus serotina. Most of the Asian varieties grown in North America were developed in Japan, have crisp, juicy, off-white flesh, a round, apple-like shape, often a russet skin, and a distinctive aroma that to me seems both flowery and slightly alcoholic. Alcohol (ethanol) is in fact one of their characteristic chemical components. The flavor is refreshing and heady at the same time.